Tang Dynasty: Starting at Xuanwu Gate, this prince is better off not being one.

Li Yu always felt that he had been tricked by Li Er, but no matter how much he thought about it, he couldn't figure out where he had been tricked.

No matter what, this is a shop right in the middle of the East Market, possibly worth a fortune. Yet, Li Er, the old man, waved his hand and told me to decide how much to pay.

What Li Yu didn't expect was that when he tentatively offered an outrageous price of 3000 guan, Li Er agreed without hesitation.

When asked about the possibility of receiving a share increase, they said they didn't need it. Could it be that Li Er has become so wealthy that he doesn't even consider several thousand strings of cash as money anymore?

This puzzled Li Yu, but adhering to his principle of "since I'm here, I might as well make the best of it," he shamelessly accepted it.

After all, this place is part of his family's home...

.........

The shop didn't need any further renovations, so almost all the time was spent on transportation.

For three consecutive days, a total of three hundred jars of liquor were neatly stacked in the warehouse by the shop assistants.

Li Yu felt quite content as he smelled the aroma of wine wafting through the warehouse.

This doesn't smell like wine, it smells like money!

"Young Master, Young Master Cheng sent me to tell you that everything is going well on his end!" Lai Fu's voice pulled Li Yu out of his get-rich-quick dreams.

"understood."

Li Yu nodded, checked the wine again, and then slowly walked out of the storeroom...

.........

The East Market was extremely bustling that day, with almost everyone stopping at a brightly decorated tavern.

Li Yu discovered that the people of Chang'an loved to join in the fun.

Although he only sent invitations to a portion of the nobles in Chang'an, the huge platform at the entrance and the three golden characters on the plaque—Dianxiang Pavilion—still attracted many nobles who were already tired of browsing the shops in the East Market.

On the stage, Cheng Chumo struck a gong, personally announcing that a banquet was about to begin, arousing the curiosity of everyone present.

"Fellow colleagues, uncles and elders, I am Chu Mo, the eldest son of the Cheng family."

A brief introduction, shouted out by Cheng Chumo in his hoarse voice, successfully ignited the atmosphere.

As soon as he finished speaking, two more gongs sounded, instantly eliciting cheers from many spoiled young men in the audience, their cries like the howls of monkeys…

Sitting in the chair backstage, Li Yu realized that he had underestimated Cheng Chumo's popularity. Hearing the occasional calls of "Brother Chumo" from the audience proved that this guy's reckless personality was indeed very popular among the playboys in Chang'an...

"I've invited you all here today for no other reason than to treat you to wine, and also to bring good fortune to the newly opened tavern behind my house!"

After listening to Cheng Chumo's speech, the crowd looked at the large characters on the plaque, followed by another round of cheers.

These people weren't so excited about the drinks; they just loved joining in the fun. As wealthy as they were, they wouldn't care about free drinks.

So what Li Yu had to do was to shift all their attention to the wine.

Thinking of this, he turned his gaze back to the stage, staring at Cheng Chumo, who was about to start keeping him in suspense, with a smile on his lips.

On stage, seeing that the atmosphere was just right, Cheng Chumo, following Li Yu's instructions, said, "Of course, some of you may not want to drink for free, but for good luck, if I say it's on me, then it's on me!"

He spoke with great enthusiasm, and Cheng Chumo even pounded his chest twice in response, which immediately drew cheers from the audience.

Just then, someone in the crowd suddenly joked, "Brother Cheng, why does the name of your tavern sound like a brothel? 'Incense Lighting Pavilion,' Incense Lighting Pavilion—which incense should we light when we go in?"

As soon as the man finished his joking remark, it immediately drew laughter from the people around him.

The laughter spread further and further, making Cheng Chumo feel somewhat embarrassed.

Just as he was about to see which bastard was causing trouble, he realized he knew the person and laughed, "Second son of the Feng family, I think you're just lust-driven. You're going to get a good beating from your father."

After finishing his tirade, he didn't forget to explain to everyone, "The incense I'm offering is naturally the aroma of wine. The wine I'm serving today was brewed by Li Yu, the young prince of the Zhao Prince's Mansion. It's no ordinary wine! In any case, I dare not taste it!"

Upon hearing Cheng Chumo's words, a group of drunkards in the audience immediately volunteered, saying they could drink a thousand cups without getting drunk and wanted to experience this strong liquor.

As the atmosphere grew increasingly lively and the topic was brought up, Cheng Chumo gradually got to the point: "Wanting to see this wine is no problem, but it's quite expensive. Although I'd like to treat you all, I don't have much money on hand. So, if you want to drink, you'll have to be the first one out of the crowd!"

"How can we win first place?" A voice came from the crowd onto the stage.

Seeing that some people in the audience were starting to ask questions, Cheng Chumo smiled and said, "There are literary contests and martial contests. Since you all want to have a match, then it's simple."

At this point, Cheng Chumo gave a look to the two waiters waiting by the stage, and then the two waiters carried a square table to the center of the stage.

Before anyone could wonder what he was going to do, Cheng Chumo picked up two wine jars from behind the curtain and slammed them onto the table.

"Everyone, please look. The liquor on this table is our tavern's Erguotou, which is extremely rare and hard to find on the market."

"Today happens to be the opening day of the tavern, so I, Old Cheng, have taken the liberty of bringing out two jars of wine to make acquaintances with wise men from all over the world. There just happens to be a wine bowl here. If any scholar present can compose a poem after drinking three bowls, or a martial artist can discuss boxing after drinking three bowls, then you may choose any of the finest wines in the tavern!"

After speaking, Cheng Chumo made a gesture of invitation, which caused the people below to burst into laughter.

"Brother Chumo, are you joking? I've seen plenty of strong drinkers before. Let alone three bowls, even a whole jug would be enough to send them to a brothel!" The speaker was a playboy of eighteen or nineteen.

Li Yu also knew this person; he was Li Chongyi, the son of Prince Zhao, Li Xiaogong. It was said that he had learned excellent martial arts skills from a young age, and his literary talent was also outstanding among his peers. He was considered to be both a scholar and a warrior in Chang'an.

However, this man had a flaw: he was addicted to alcohol at a young age. There were even rumors that after he made meritorious contributions on the battlefield, the reward he asked the emperor for was not a promotion or a higher rank, but rather a bottle of "Divine Wine" from the palace.

Although he didn't know if there was any exaggeration involved, Li Yu knew that no one dared to speak after he jumped out, so he must be a master at drinking parties.

This is a great opportunity to establish authority!

Thinking of this, Li Yu exchanged a glance with Cheng Chumo, signaling him to step back, and then picked up a wine jar and came out.

"Hahaha, so it's my cousin Chongyi!" Li Yu laughed heartily as he neatly arranged the three jars of wine on the table. "I've long heard that you are not only skilled in both literature and martial arts, but also have an unfathomable capacity for alcohol. I've admired you for a long time!"

Although he hadn't had much contact with Li Yu, hearing his hearty laughter, Li Chongyi also laughed heartily: "Brother, you flatter me. I dare not claim to be both learned and skilled in martial arts, but when it comes to drinking, I truly have no one to concede defeat. I've heard this wine is your creation, so please let me witness just how strong this Erguotou really is!"

.........