Do you know the long song of laughter?

Chapter 172 Lobbying

Suddenly the carriage stopped. Xu Shigao leaned forward due to inertia. After sitting firmly, he said displeasedly: "What's going on?"

"Sir, someone is stopping the car," the driver said.

"Go and ask and see what's going on. If nothing happens, drive them away quickly." Xu Shigao said impatiently.

"Yes."

The coachman responded, returned to the car after a while, and whispered through the curtain: "The man who stopped the car said that his master said he could solve the master's problem and wanted to treat him to a drink."

"Solution to my problem?"

Xu Shigao was stunned. He opened the curtain and looked out. He saw a middle-aged man standing by the road with an entourage. When he saw him opening the curtain, he smiled at him.

"Why is it him?" Xu Shigao frowned slightly.

When the imperial team arrived in Yangzhou that day, he had seen this man, and he was with Prince Yan at the time.

Although I don't know the specific identity, I know without thinking that this person should be Prince Yan.

He now seeks help from Gu Yi, who is from Prince Yong's family. If he knew that he had contact with Prince Yan's people, it would be troublesome.

So he instinctively wanted to refuse.

However, just as he was about to speak, he thought of what the coachman had just said. He hesitated, lowered the curtain and said, "Tell them that I will host a banquet for him in the bamboo box in the fully booked building at 3:00pm tonight."

"Yes."

The driver responded and ran over to convey Xu Shigao's words to Chen Shaofan.

After hearing this, Chen Shaofan smiled and said that he would go to the banquet on time.

After the coachman went back to report Xu Shigao, Xu Shigao said nothing and asked the coachman to drive back.

"Be cautious."

Chen Shaofan watched the carriage go away, smiled slightly, and headed to the inn.

……

In the evening, almost before the appointed time, Xu Shigao arrived at the fully booked building.

Kemanlou is also a famous restaurant in Yangzhou. There are four private rooms on the third floor, named after plums, orchids, bamboos and chrysanthemums.

After Xu Shigao returned, he thought carefully that the person who came to see him should have been ordered by Prince Yan.

Although he couldn't figure out why Prince Yan sent people to look for him, he always felt a little uneasy in his heart. This uneasiness made him eager to find another way out.

"Sir, the guests have arrived."

After waiting for about a quarter of an hour, the entourage led Chen Shaofan in.

Xu Shigao came back to his senses, stood up, looked at Chen Shaofan, cupped his hands and said, "I wonder what I call this person?"

"My Excellency, Chen Shaofan, I have met Xu Xuezheng." Chen Shaofan saluted.

"Haha, Mr. Chen, you're welcome. Please take a seat."

Xu Shigao asked Chen Shaofan to sit down and ordered his entourage to notify the waiter to serve the food.

"I ordered some special dishes from this restaurant before. If Mr. Chen wants to eat anything, you can tell the waiter and let the kitchen cook it." Xu Shigao said.

Chen Shaofan thanked him and chatted with Xu Shigao.

Although Xu Shigao was impatient, he still had the city and knew that now was not the time to talk.

After chatting for a while, the waiter served wine and food, and Xu Shigao sent everyone away.

"This is the best Zhuangyuan Red. Mr. Chen, try it." Xu Shigao held the wine pot and poured wine for Chen Shaofan himself.

The so-called Zhuangyuanhong and Nuerhong are not actually wine names.

In ancient times, when a daughter from a wealthy family gave birth to a daughter, she would buy several jars of rice wine and bury it in the ground. When the daughter got married, she would take it out to entertain guests, which was called her daughter's red wine.

There is also a legend that the earliest winemaker learned that his daughter was born. He was so happy that he brewed the wine himself and buried it under the osmanthus tree in his yard. When his daughter got married, he dug it up to entertain guests.

It spread, was imitated by others, and gradually became a custom. Later, after the imperial examination became popular, some families began to drink wine after giving birth to a son, saying that they would use it to entertain guests after their son was named on the gold medal list. It was called Zhuangyuanhong. Later, it gradually became a custom.

Whether it is Zhuangyuan Red or Nvren Red, the wine has been buried underground for many years to enhance the taste of the wine.

Some wine-making workshops bury wine every year. To make it sound better, the old wine buried underground is called Zhuangyuanhong.

The reason why it is not called Nürhong is because Nürhong is used to entertain guests when a daughter gets married. It will not be shed unless the daughter dies young, which has an ominous meaning.

This jar of wine has been buried underground for more than 20 years. It was Xu Shigao who got it with great difficulty. This time he spent a lot of money to entertain Chen Shaofan.

The original color of rice wine is amber, but after being buried underground for many years, it turns into bright red.

The aroma of the wine is rich and fragrant.

"Good wine." Chen Shaofan's eyes lit up and he praised.

"Haha, I'd like to toast Mr. Chen." Xu Shigao raised his glass and said.

"I should be the one who respects Xu Xuezheng." Chen Shaofan raised his wine glass and gestured to Xu Shigao, and said with a smile: "Xu Xuezheng please."

"Drink together, drink together." Xu Shigao said with a smile.

Chen Shaofan drank the wine in the glass, tasted it carefully, swallowed it, and praised: "It is clear, fragrant, mellow, soft, soft, and refreshing. It is worthy of being a top-notch red wine."

"Haha, I still have two altars, ready to be given to His Royal Highness the Crown Prince and Mr. Chen." Xu Shigao said with a smile.

"Then I would like to thank Xu Xuezheng for his kindness on behalf of His Highness." Chen Shaofan said with a smile.

Wine is never cheap, let alone such fine wine.

Xu Shigao offered to send him off, and he naturally would not refuse.

Xu Shigao cursed in his heart when he saw that Chen Shaofan had nothing to say after thanking him.

Chen Shaofan took the initiative to find him and said what he could do to solve his problem, but he never mentioned it after meeting.

When he said he was offering wine, he also wanted to use his talent to induce Chen Shaofan to speak first.

However, Chen Shaofan didn't seem to notice. He didn't say anything at all. Instead, he chatted with Xu Shigao about Yangzhou's customs and customs.

Although Xu Shigao was anxious, he knew that once he spoke first, he would easily fall into passivity, so he chatted with Chen Shaofan.

"I wonder what Mr. Chen meant by what he said before?"

It's old and delicious, but it has a lot of staying power. Seeing Chen Shaofan showing a little drunkenness, Xu Shigao couldn't sit still anymore.

If this makes people drunk, what else will they talk about next?

Chen Shaofan secretly laughed in his heart, feeling that he had almost figured it out, and said with a half-smile, "Xu Xuezheng should understand what I mean."

"I just asked because I didn't understand. It's getting late. If Mr. Chen is still here to be confused, please forgive me for not accompanying him." Xu Shigao said with a dark expression.

He took the initiative to ask, but Chen Shaofan was still playing dumb games with him, which made him very unhappy.

"Since Xu Xuezheng has said so, let's open up the skylight and speak frankly. The fraud in the examination in Yangzhou County should be related to Xu Xuezheng, right?" Chen Shaofan said with a smile.

A look of panic flashed across Xu Shigao's eyes, and he stood up suddenly with an ugly expression on his face: "Mr. Chen, you've had too much wine."

"hehe."

Chen Shaofan chuckled lightly and said: "Xu Xuezheng, what time has it been now, and you still have a sense of luck. This matter has even alarmed the official family. Do you think Gu Yi or Prince Yong can protect you?" "

"Someone has to take responsibility for this matter. Regardless of whether you did it or not, is there anyone in Yangzhou who is more suitable to take the blame than you?"

Xu Shigao sat down in frustration after hearing this. He was silent for a long time and said in a hoarse voice: "What exactly do you want to say?"

Chen Shaofan thought to himself and said: "This matter must have a result. Prince Yong will not care about you."

Speaking of this, Xu Shigao still didn't understand what Chen Shaofan meant, so he asked, "Can Prince Yan be able to keep me?"

(End of this chapter)