Bianjing City in the Northern Song Dynasty had the largest "takeaway" network in the world at that time. The protagonist of this book, Nanmen Waiter, is an ordinary "takeaway boy" in this thousand-year-old ancient capital. Day after day, he carries food boxes through Hongqiao markets, Goulan tile houses, and even the high gates of the palace.
The story begins with a seemingly ordinary meal delivery commission. The Nanmen waiter presented a "cauldron-boiled lamb" to a mysterious merchant, but unexpectedly received a reward with exotic spices. This copper coin is like a stone thrown into a calm lake, and ripples gradually spread out: Emperor Song Renzong, who was incognito for food, was actually a loyal fan of takeout, and gave him an unexpected appreciation; and at the Fanlou tea banquet, the secret message conveyed by the tea master through the skill of ordering tea further hinted that the tribute "Dragon Group Sheng Xue" was facing disaster
Nanmen's waiter gradually discovered that the food delivery network he relied on to make a living had long been targeted by spies from the Liao Kingdom and Xixia. They used delicious food as bait, money as a weapon, turned food delivery routes into secret passages for transmitting intelligence, and used take-out food boxes as tools to bribe officials. Their targets were directly at the water transportation economy and military defense of the Song Dynasty...
He looked at Bao Zheng's unique dark face and couldn't help but asked curiously: "Is this the first time Mr. Bao has come to Bianjing? Are you here to take part in the Jinke Provincial Examination?"
Bao Zheng nodded: "Exactly. I have admired the splendor of Bianjing for a long time, and seeing it today, it is indeed well-deserved." His eyes swept across the noisy dock, the forest of masts, and the towering city wall in the distance, and there was a trace of imperceptible solemnity and expectation in his eyes...
