Chapter Ten: Hosting a Banquet at the Drunken Immortal Pavilion

Seeing Jiang Chen’s look of indifference, Lin Qingxuan could barely contain his anger.

He suddenly slammed the table so hard it seemed he might leap from his seat; clearly, he was on the verge of exploding.

“I’ll be frank with you—if you can’t come up with a way to fight back, I’ll soon have no share in the Lin family’s assets or resources at all.”

Jiang Chen had a fair understanding of the Lin family’s situation. Old Master Lin Yongshou had three sons. Lin Qingxuan’s father was the youngest, but by the time he came of age, the family estates had already been carved up by his two elder brothers. The only property left to him was the Drunken Immortal Tavern, which was constantly subject to both open and covert suppression. If even the tavern were to be lost, their branch of the family would likely be driven out of the Lin clan entirely in the future.

It’s worth mentioning that Lin Qingxuan’s father had suffered a sudden stroke half a year ago and was still bedridden, unable to manage affairs.

This was precisely why the other two branches dared to suppress Lin Qingxuan so brazenly. From his perspective, his predicament was indeed dire.

With this in mind, Jiang Chen gave Lin Qingxuan two firm pats on the shoulder and said, “Don’t worry. Our counterattack has already begun.”

“What did you say?” Lin Qingxuan looked at Jiang Chen in confusion.

He had no idea what counterattack Jiang Chen was talking about. For the past three days, all he’d seen was Jiang Chen taking his brother-in-law to some shabby alley. Although Jiang Yuebai could certainly earn money, they refused to take anyone’s payment, nor would they let their wares be sold at the Drunken Immortal Tavern. Even with the best temper, Lin Qingxuan was at his wit’s end.

“Brother-in-law, Tang Yong has replied. Tonight, there will be eighteen tables set at the Drunken Immortal Tavern!”

“Good. We’d best make preparations as well.”

The more Lin Qingxuan listened, the more baffled he became. It seemed there would be an eighteen-table banquet at the tavern, but as the proprietor, he hadn’t heard a word of it until now.

Jiang Chen then explained: the county magistrate was holding a grand banquet at the tavern to celebrate his old mother’s ninetieth birthday. Originally, this honor would not have fallen to the Drunken Immortal Tavern, but Jiang Chen had made some moves behind the scenes to change the magistrate’s mind.

“You already knew all this, didn’t you?”

Jiang Chen simply said, “Go back and see to the arrangements. We can’t afford to botch tonight’s performance.”

For the magistrate himself to grace the tavern with his presence was a rare stroke of fortune. Lin Qingxuan had no time to probe further and hurried off to the Drunken Immortal Tavern.

As dusk crept over the hills, the guests invited to the birthday banquet at the Drunken Immortal Tavern began to arrive one after another. Bearing gifts for the old lady, their presence soon filled the tavern with a lively bustle.

The county magistrate, in high spirits, waited until all the guests were seated before finally presenting the star of the evening—the venerable birthday lady.

Once more, the hall was filled with flattery and sycophancy. The old lady was so delighted that she grinned from ear to ear, revealing gaps in her teeth as she laughed without restraint.

With the mood thus set, it was time for the feast to begin. The magistrate immediately ordered the special wine he had prepared to be served to the eighteen tables of guests.

Among them, Zhao He’s status was the most distinguished, and naturally, he sat at the magistrate’s own table. What displeased him today was that the birthday feast was being held at the Drunken Immortal Tavern. He looked down on Lin Qingxuan, and indeed, he was currently conspiring with the other two Lin scions to take over all of Lin Qingxuan’s branch’s assets. He had come most unwillingly.

Besides, something about the atmosphere tonight seemed off.

“My dear magistrate, why didn’t you mention your mother’s ninetieth birthday earlier? I could have arranged for the celebration at the Zhao Family Winery—much grander than this little tavern, surely?”

“My chef is a true master, skilled in dishes from all corners of the land—his cooking is far superior to anything the Drunken Immortal Tavern can offer!”

Zhao He boasted confidently of his family’s winery, but the magistrate seemed distracted, his gaze fixed expectantly on something else. Only then did Zhao He notice this.

“Hmph! The Drunken Immortal’s fare tastes like wax—nothing to look forward to,” Zhao He muttered inwardly.

Yet when the waiters brought forth the wine, each porcelain bottle adorned with blue and white patterns, the magistrate eagerly reached out to take one as if he’d found a treasure.

“This is excellent—truly excellent!” he beamed, introducing the wine to his guests with great enthusiasm, while a new light of pleasure crept onto Zhao He’s face.

“Magistrate, the Second Cut Spring from my Zhao Family Winery is, of course, the finest vintage. To have it honor the old lady’s birthday is my greatest joy!”

Without so much as a glance, Zhao He assumed the wine must be Second Cut Spring. Such occasions always called for it—it was a mark of status.

But the awkwardness on the magistrate’s face clearly belied this notion, leaving Zhao He uneasy.

“Master Zhao, you’re mistaken. Tonight, our lord is serving a wine that has taken the whole town by storm these past days. It’s called Jiangyuebai,” Tang Yong, the magistrate’s steward, announced, each word stabbing at Zhao He’s pride.

“What… what? Jiangyuebai?” Zhao He’s face twitched, embarrassment written all over him.

The magistrate smiled and explained, “At first, I thought the wine’s fame was exaggerated, just idle gossip from the market. But when I tasted it myself, it was as if I drank nectar and dew from the heavens—I simply couldn’t get enough!”

“My friends, let us drink together! This fine wine is found only at the Drunken Immortal Tavern!”

Upstairs, leaning on the railing, Jiang Chen watched it all unfold in silence.

Lin Qingxuan stood beside him, dumbstruck. He couldn’t fathom how Jiang Chen had managed to persuade the magistrate himself to recommend Jiangyuebai to such an illustrious gathering.

“It was simple. I gave Tang Yong a jar of Jiangyuebai, and through him, the magistrate was ensnared by its taste. From there, everything fell into place.”

“All these people are the local elite. Soon, they’ll all succumb to Jiangyuebai’s charm. How could we worry about selling it now?”

Lin Qingxuan’s gaze went from confusion to clarity, and now, moved to the verge of tears.

Jiang Chen’s move was nothing short of brilliant! Lin Qingxuan had tried many ways to promote Jiangyuebai, but none so effective and direct as this—using the magistrate’s banquet to capture all the local gentry in one stroke. Once they tasted it, there would be no turning back.

“Wait a minute! What are you all playing at? Isn’t this wine just a cheap concoction brewed by common riffraff?” Zhao He burst out in angry protest.