Transmigrator meets Reincarnator

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Chapter 201: Offering Round Cakes (1)

"Dear cousin, you've become rather capable, haven't you? You're actually keeping someone like that as company!"

Chu Lian was pulled back to reality by that young, angry voice. When she focused her gaze on the source, she saw Imperial Princess Leyao standing not too far from them. The two ladies standing behind her were the same ones she had seen last time at the Dingyuan Estate, House Dingyuan's Fifth Miss, Zou Yuanqin, and Feudal Princess Anmin.

One of Chu Lian's eyebrows shot up. She was about to speak, but Royal Princess Duanjia beat her to the punch and started to retort with, "Leyao, when has it been up to you to manage my business? If you're that free, why don't you mind your own!"

On the way to Ninghe Palace, Chu Lian had already told Royal Princess Duanjia about everything that had happened at Tingyu Pavilion, so Duanjia also knew about Princess Leyao's grounding.

Imperial Princess Leyao was actually a rank higher than Royal Princess Duanjia. However, Prince Wei and the Chengping Emperor were blood brothers, and the Emperor favoured Prince Wei. Since Royal Princess Duanjia was Prince Wei's only daughter, she held favour with both the Empress Dowager and the Emperor. She wasn't any less favoured than Imperial Princess Leyao.

Imperial Princess Leyao had always maintained a cordial relationship with her cousin, the equally pampered Royal Princess Duanjia. However, who could have expected Royal Princess Duanjia to side with Chu Lian?

Leyao's face had instantly turned white from rage. She couldn't win over Royal Princess Duanjia, but was she really going to lose to a measly Honoured Lady like Chu Lian?

What was strange was that Imperial Princess Leyao didn't say anything in retaliation to Royal Princess Duanjia's retort. Instead, she actually managed to hold back her anger, and only led her entourage away. At the same time, she shot a fierce glare at Chu Lian and smirked.

Chu Lian's brows drew together. That smirk gave her an uncomfortable feeling.

When Royal Princess Duanjia saw that Chu Lian didn't seem too happy, she tried to reassure her in her own clumsy way. "Chu Liu, you don't have to care about that sort of person. She's just throwing a tantrum because she's used to being spoiled. Who knows when she'll be able to grow some brains!"

Chu Lian managed to pull out a smile for the princess, but her right eyelid kept twitching for some mysterious reason.

After about ten minutes, Matriarch He's handmaid, Muxiang, came rushing over from somewhere. Her face was extremely troubled. When she saw Chu Lian, it was as if she had seen salvation.

Chu Lian looked over, but before she could ask what had happened, Muxiang had already spoken first. "Third Young Madam, something bad happened! The matriarch requires your presence!"

Chu Lian's brows were raised high. She had a hunch that this had something to do with Imperial Princess Leyao.

Seeing that Chu Lian was going to leave in a hurry, Royal Princess Duanjia frowned and asked, "Chu Liu, what's wrong?"

Chu Lian suppressed her anxiety and said, "Royal Princess, my grandmother is looking for me. I have to go first."

"Do you want me to come along with you?"

Chu Lian shook her head.

Royal Princess Duanjia didn't press the matter. After watching Chu Lian leave with that handmaid, she moved to another wing of the side hall.

Princess Wei seemed to have noticed the commotion. She sent someone to look for Royal Princess Duanjia, who then personally went to meet Princess Wei.

"It seems like something has happened to House Jing'an. Chu Liu was called over by Matriarch He."

Princess Wei gripped one of her handkerchiefs and thought for a moment. Then, to one of her senior servants, she instructed, "Send someone to take a look. If there's really something that can't be resolved, report back to me."

Chu Lian was taken to another wing of the side hall by Muxiang. She went further in as Muxiang turned back around to shut the doors tight. As expected, there was Matriarch He, sitting by the table with Madam Zou standing next to her respectfully.

Muxiang led Chu Lian over to Matriarch He, only to see Matriarch He slam her cane on the ground and shout, "Dalang's wife! What is going on here? How could you have lost our round cakes?"

Madam Zou lowered her head, face pale as she replied to the matriarch with a trembling voice. "Grandmother, when Granddaughter-in-Law left the estate, Granddaughter-in-Law checked through everything personally. When Granddaughter-in-Law entered the palace, our round cakes were still there. They only disappeared once Granddaughter-in-Law entered Ninghe Palace... Granddaughter-in-Law... really doesn't know where they went..."

Matriarch He banged her cane on the floor again, restraining the urge to hit Madam Zou with it instead.

"Dalang's wife, tell me! When you entered the palace, who was holding onto that box of round cakes?"

Although the palace was hosting a Mid-Autumn Banquet today, the noble madams of each estate were not allowed to bring just anyone with them. Someone of Madam Zou's rank was only allowed to bring in two servants at most.

She had brought her most trusted senior servant and handmaid, Senior Servant Qiao and Jinshui.

This whole matter was extremely suspicious, so Madam Zou didn't dare to hide anything. However, she also wanted to protect her own servants. After mumbling for a bit, she didn't say anything concrete. Chu Lian was starting to frown as she watched on from the side.

"Madam Zou! Look at what has happened! Are you not going to answer me? Are you trying to bring down our entire family?!" Matriarch He was usually amiable, and she rarely lost her temper like this. Years of accumulated stress poured out all at once, even scaring Chu Lian, let alone the guilty Madam Zou.

"Grandmother, please calm down! Granddaughter-in-Law will say it! It was... It was Granddaughter-in-Law's Jinshui..."

Once Madam Zou had given a name, Senior Servant Zhou, who served Matriarch He, immediately shouted, "What a daring servant! Even after committing a crime, you're still refusing to admit to it? Kneel down at once!"

Jinshui was already afraid since she had lost the estate's round cakes. Now that she was being shouted at by Senior Servant Zhou, her legs turned to jelly and she collapsed on the ground. She tried and failed to support herself with her trembling arms a few times before she finally managed to crawl over to Matriarch He.

"Matriarch, Matriarch, please have mercy on this servant! This servant... this servant didn't lose the box on purpose. This servant was carefeully holding onto the box while following Eldest Young Madam into Ninghe Palace. When this servant was turning a corner, a eunuch suddenly pushed this servant. This servant smelled something strange and immediately fainted. When this servant came to, the box was gone! That eunuch had also disappeared. Matriarch, this servant... has been caught in someone else's schemes!"

Chapter 202: Offering Round Cakes (2)

Chu Lian's brows furrowed together. In these circumstances, this Jinshui probably wasn't lying. She was Madam Zou's trusted handmaid. Madam Zou wouldn't be so silly as to shoot herself in the foot.

If it wasn't Madam Zou, then it had to be someone else. When Chu Lian thought of that strange smirk that Imperial Princess Leyao had sent her earlier, she felt completely helpess inside.

When Madam Zou saw that the matriarch's gloomy expression had not changed one bit, she pleaded, "Grandmother, please don't blame Jinshui; it was someone else who stole the box from her!"

Matriarch He was so angry she almost took up her cane to start bashing Madam Zou. "Do you know what time it is? If you still have the mood to plead mercy for her, then use your brains to think of a way past this problem!"

Matriarch He held onto her cane with both hands, chest heaving with the force of her frustration. She turned her head away from Madam Zou.

Madam Zou's body also turned to jelly. How could she have expected such a thing to happen? If their house didn't offer up any round cakes, they would be taken to blame by the Empress and Empress Dowager!

Senior Servant Zhou started fretting to one side. "Matriarch, could we borrow some round cakes from other madams to substitute for our offering?"

"Borrow? How? Most of the houses have already offered up their round cakes by now, so who would we borrow from? Furthermore, every estate has their own unique round cakes; how could we possibly borrow some without being found out?"

Since someone was trying to teach their House Jing'an a lesson from the shadows, that meant that someone was definitely watching them. If they really were to borrow someone's round cakes, then they would definitely be exposed the moment they offered the round cakes up. By then, not only would it be a disgrace to their house, it would also be a crime of deceiving the Emperor.

When Senior Servant Zhou heard the matriarch's reply, she lapsed into silence.

Chu Lian was almost frowning by now. This was a tough problem to resolve. Each estate had already prepared their share of round cakes. Borrowing someone else's wasn't a good solution.

When Matriarch He saw that Sanlang's wife was standing to one side, she was about to ask if Chu Lian had any ideas, when Madam Zou hurriedly said, "Grandmother, Sister-in-Law knows how to make all sorts of confections. Why don't we let her make some round cakes from scratch? It shouldn't be too hard."

When she finished speaking, both Chu Lian and Matriarch He were frowning.

Make them from scratch?

Hah! Wasn't Madam Zou overestimating her? Ignoring the fact that there wasn't any place for her to make confections in Ninghe Palace, even if there was one, she had never made these special Mid-Autumn Festival round cakes before. If they didn't turn out well, wouldn't she be the one carrying all the blame and disgrace?

It didn't matter if Madam Zou was simply too confident towards her abilities or if Madam Zou was trying to drag her down into the hot water with her. Madam Zou clearly didn't care for her well-being in the slightest!

However, no matter what Madam Zou thought of her in private, Chu Lian was indeed Matriarch He and House Jing'an's last hope at this moment. Even Matriarch He held a shred of expectation in her eyes when she looked at Chu Lian.

"Sanlang's wife, do you have any ideas to deal with this emergency?"

Chu Lian shot a look at Madam Zou; her watery eyes made Madam Zou feel slightly ashamed.

She turned her gaze back to the matriarch and thought for a bit. She took in a deep breath and said, "Grandmother, Granddaughter-in-Law has thought of a solution. However, Granddaughter-in-Law doesn't know if it would be appropriate..."

As much as she didn't want to take on the responsibility for this disaster, she was already part of House Jing'an now. Their names were bound together for better or for worse. Even if she wanted to take care of Madam Zou, she couldn't risk it with this matter at hand.

When Matriarch He heard Chu Lian's words, she seemed to relax. She pulled Chu Lian's hands into her own and massaged them. "Good child, Grandmother has let you suffer a fright. Quick, tell Grandmother what your idea is."

Chu Lian quickly explained her idea, but left the final decision in Matriarch He's hands. "Grandmother, would this solution be appropriate?"

Light flickered in Matriarch He's astute eyes. For some strange reason, she trusted this young granddaughter-in-law of hers.

The matriarch patted Chu Lian's hands. "Alright, we'll do as you say."

Chu Lian didn't relax. She only turned to instruct Xiyan, who had followed her in, to make her preparations. When she had reached Ninghe Palace, she had also brought Xiyan and Senior Servant Gui with her.

After Matriarch He gave some instructions to Chu Lian, she directed her attention back to Madam Zou, whose head was still lowered. In a cold, unforgiving tone, she ordered, "Madam Zou, you won't be needed when it's time to offer up the round cakes later. Sanlang's wife will take your place. Keep your servants close with you and stand behind me when the time comes. No one is allowed to leave before the banquet is over!"

This time, Matriarch He was truly angry.

At a grand banquet like this, it was customary for the noble madam in charge of the household to be the one presenting their offerings to the Empress Dowager and Empress. However, the matriarch had taken away that privilege of hers. This was a huge slap in her face. Following this, Madam Zou would not be able to hold her head high in the capital for some time.

This punishment was even harsher than sending away her two trusted servants.

Chapter 203: Winner (1)

When Matriarch He came out of the side hall with Chu Lian supporting her at one side, a handmaid who had been watching from the shadows quietly left.

Lady Pan caught sight of Matriarch He first, walking with her two granddaughters-in-law behind her. She came over with a friendly smile and walked up to Matriarch He's side, bobbing in greeting. Matriarch He was about to return the greeting, but was held up by Lady Pan.

"Matriarch He, you're already at a grand age, please don't stand on ceremony with me. I don't see Countess Jing'an with you today; how is her health now?"

Matriarch He's expression didn't change, as if they hadn't panicked over losing their round cakes just moments earlier. With a calm expression, she amiably replied, "I thank you for your kind thoughts in place of my daughter-in-law, Lady Pan. Her body is still a little weak, so she sent a reply to the palace a few days ago, explaining that she couldn’t make it to the banquet."

Lady Pan's gaze casually passed over the two ladies standing behind Matriarch He before focusing on Chu Lian's young and tender face. Her smile grew even warmer. "This lady behind you must be your newest granddaughter-in-law?"

"She is. Sanlang's wife may be young, but she's very sensible."

Following Matriarch He's words, Chu Lian bobbed in greeting to Lady Pan.

The smile on Lady Pan's face hadn't budged an inch. "What great fortune you have, Matriarch He. Your granddaughter-in-law is a sensible one, and she's also a lady from House Ying. It won't be too long before you'll get to play with a great-grandson, then."

Lady Pan's sudden shift in topic caused the expressions of the three madams from House Jing’an to change.

Noting the fertility of the ladies of House Ying was a slight to Chu Lian. Mentioning a great-grandson was to provoke Madam Zou, who hadn't produced a heir for the family line yet. Saying that it wouldn't be too long now was slapping both Chu Lian and Matriarch He in the face.

In the entire capital, who didn't know of the news that House Jing'an's He Sanlang had entered the army just three days after his marriage? Without her husband at home, what did it mean if the wife was suddenly pregnant?

This Lady Pan, who seemingly hadn't done any wrong on the surface, was actually a master of provocation.

Matriarch He was more experienced on this end. After a spark of rage had passed through her eyes, she quickly regained her calm. "Lady Pan, you're usually closed up in your estate. You probably don't know that that unfilial grandson of mine has already left to join the army at the northern border."

Shock appeared on Lady Pan's face, and she quickly tried to apologise. "Matriarch He, it was my bad for that slip of the tongue. I hope you don't blame me. Who could have expected He Sanlang to be so resolute in leaving? Unless..." Her gaze shot towards Chu Lian, leaving the nonverbal accusation to hang in the air. It was clear by her actions that Lady Pan harboured some bad intentions towards them.

Since their parties had been conversing for quite awhile, some of the madams were starting to shoot casual glances in their direction. Although nothing showed on their faces, their ears were keenly tuned to the slightest inflection as they tried to catch every word of Matriarch He and Lady Pan's conversation. Their eyes shone like vultures', seeking to scavenge some gossip.

Lady Pan was trying to put the blame for He Changdi's leaving on this newlywed wife of his. Although she hadn't finished her sentence, anyone with a brain could tell what she was trying to get at.

Madam Zou lowered her head. Although Lady Pan was provoking House Jing'an right now, she didn't feel anger at all. Actually, it was the complete opposite- she felt delighted!

Lady Pan happened to cross gazes with Chu Lian and was abruptly stunned by what she saw. Chu Lian's wide, clear eyes were looking right back at her without any hint of anger, as if she wasn't the subject of her provocation at all. What Lady Pan had done was akin to tossing a bucket of icy water into a bamboo basket. The icy water didn’t affected the basket one bit, and had actually slipped through the seams like the basket was no more than a sieve, making Lady Pan feel like she had failed to do any damage at all.

The two-faced Lady Pan hadn't made Chu Lian angry, but had conversely suffered some frustration herself. She stared at Chu Lian as she continued to say, "Now that He Sanlang has joined the army at the northern border, if he doesn't accrue some sort of achievement, he'll only be able to return in five years. What a waste of Honoured Lady Jinyi's best years."

Chu Lian found all this rather funny. What was going on? Why was everyone targeting her? This was the first time she had ever met Lady Pan. The Pan Estate was also ranks above her, so she couldn't have possibly encountered them before marriage either. Why was Lady Pan suddenly at odds with her?

Could it be because of Chu Qizheng's visit to the Pan Estate?

When she thought of this, Chu Lian's expression turned dark.

She didn't ask for her father's love, but he shouldn't be dragging her down, either!

"Many thanks for Lady Pan's kind thoughts. My husband is extremely fortunate, so he'll surely have a lucky turn of events." Chu Lian threw her neutral reply back at Lady Pan. She was too lazy to beat around the bush with this Lady Pan and couldn't be bothered to form a more politically correct response. That Lady Pan was already trying to bully her, wasn't she allowed to throw something back?

Chu Lian wasn't someone who liked to hold grudges. She would rather give as good as she got on the spot.

Lady Pan choked on that response. That everlasting smile on her face also slowly disappeared. She tossed one last cold sentence at Chu Lian. "I didn't expect Honoured Lady Jinyi to be so open-minded!"

Chu Lian tilted her head to one side and gave a dazzlingly bright smile to Lady Pan.

Lady Pan's tempo had been completely messed up by Chu Lian's unexpected reply. She suddenly gave a furtive smile. "Matriarch He, I haven't seen your estate's round cakes. What's going on? Are you trying to deceive the Empress Dowager?"

Matriarch He sent a look at Chu Lian, who held up an exquisite container and showed it off to Lady Pan. "Thank you for reminding me of the round cakes, Lady Pan. I have to present them now, please excuse me."

After she said so, Chu Lian took the round cakes and her maidservants with her to greet the Empress Dowager.

Chapter 204: Winner (2)

Lady Pan stared after Chu Lian's figure in disbelief. By the time she managed to regain her senses, Chu Lian had already disappeared into the crowd. Lady Pan’s good mood was completely destroyed by this one short conversation. In her frustration, she shot a look of contempt at Madam Zou before she left, not forgetting one last action to show her vexation.

When the madams around them saw that it wasn't House Jing'an's Eldest Young Madam who was to present the round cakes, there were a bunch of strange looks directed towards Madam Zou. Madam Zou immediately felt the urge to dig a hole and hide in it.

By the time Chu Lian had properly presented her round cakes and returned to Matriarch He's side, Royal Princess Duanjia had squeezed in beside her. She leaned close enough to whisper in Chu Lian's ear and asked if she needed any help.

Chu Lian smiled and shook her head, telling her that everything was fine.

Royal Princess Duanjia's expression relaxed and she gave her a nod before leaving.

The banquet was about to begin, and the judging of the round cakes would occur at the end. Royal Princess Duanjia was part of Prince Wei's estate, so she wasn't going to be seated with Chu Lian's group.

By the time all the female guests were seated, the banquet officially started.

Royal Princess Duanjia was sitting with Princess Wei, closer to the imperial family. At the top sat the Empress Dowager and the Empress. Imperial Concubine Wei was seated below the Empress, while a few old concubines of the previous Emperor were seated below the Empress Dowager.

Princess Wei was ranked below the various concubines, so she was seated with the wives of the other princes. Royal Princess Duanjia was at the table next to hers, where all the princesses were seated. Imperial Princess Leyao was placed diagonally across from Royal Princess Duanjia.

Chu Lian was sitting beside Matriarch He, with other noble madams of the same rank. There was one more seat reserved for House Ying's matriarch here, but House Ying's matriarch hadn't come, seemingly due to health issues.

Other than their matriarch, none of the madams of House Ying were qualified to enter the banquet. Thus, Chu Lian didn't see anyone from House Ying here in Ninghe Palace.

When Chu Lian turned to look at Empress Shen, who was giving a speech, she felt a gaze burning like coals on her. She followed the sensation, only to meet with Imperial Princess Leyao's eyes.

Imperial Princess Leyao was so angry that her little hands were curled into fists. She had never suffered a setback like that before!

With her high and mighty status, if she wanted to teach anyone a lesson, she would be able to do so without any restraint. Even if they died in the process, no one would be able to touch her. Now, all she had been trying to do was make trouble for Brother He's annoying wife. However, she kept failing to do so! She was able to accept it back at the Dingyuan Estate, as that hadn’t been in her territory, but here? In the palace? She should’ve been able to get Chu Lian in trouble by now, but all her schemes were still failing spectacularly! How could she not be angry?

If she could, Imperial Princess Leyao would kill Chu Lian on the spot to relieve this hatred within her.

Chu Lian's gaze swept over Imperial Princess Leyao once before she shifted her eyes elsewhere, as if she hadn't seen that burning hatred in the princess' eyes.

Chu Lian performed perfectly at the banquet, doing everything as customary. She didn't attract anyone's attention nor did she flout any rules of etiquette. She was just waiting for the banquet to end so she could go home to Songtao Court, have a nice hot bath, and then fall in bed for a good night's sleep.

In the later half of the banquet, it was finally time for the round cakes to be judged. Each estate’s round cakes were placed in similar silver trays. The top ten ranked noble madams and imperial family members would then taste each one before choosing a winner.

From her conversation with Royal Princess Duanjia earlier, Chu Lian knew that this competition wasn't as fair as most people would think. The 'round cakes' that she had submitted were also a little different from most, so she wasn't too worried about being chosen as the winner. She just sat calmly and ate while watching the show.

Although the food of this imperial banquet wasn't too tasty, the fruits offered after the main meal were delicious. They were serving dragonfruits and mangosteens that were part of the tributes from the western regions. They never had a chance to taste these in the Jing'an Estate. It was unexpected that the Empress Dowager would bring these rare fruits out for her guests at this banquet.

The round cake competition was at its peak when the eunuch guarding the entrance at Ninghe Palace suddenly announced, "The Emperor has arrived!"

Normally, the Emperor wouldn't come to Ninghe Palace. In previous years, it had always been either the Empress Dowager or the Empress hosting banquets like this. Their guests would also be the ladies of the noble houses. In the past two years, the Chengping Emperor had never come to grace the Mid-Autumn Banquet. However, since he was here now, the crowd was naturally happy to see him. They didn't have many chances to peek at the face of the almighty Emperor on normal days.

The Chengping Emperor had come over purely for a change of pace after a long stretch of boredom in his imperial study. He hadn't arranged this visit in advance.

He happened to chance upon the judging of the round cakes, so he joined the judges since he was in a good mood.

The banquet became even livelier after the arrival of the Emperor. In a short moment, the judging was over. The scroll with the results of the competition was passed to one of the court ladies who served in the Empress Dowager's palace.

The Chengping Emperor was seated next to the Empress Dowager as he chatted warmly with her, all the while listening to the court lady announce the winner of this year's round cake competition.

The announcer's voice was bright and clear, covering the entire hall in an instant.

The madams seated at the same table as Lady Pan were already smiling and congratulating her in low voices, without waiting for the announcer to finish speaking. Lady Pan was also full of pleasant smiles upon receiving their congratulations; a nice warmth settled in her heart.

The announcer's voice rang out in the hall, declaring, "After the judges' appraisal, the winner of this year's competition is House Jing'an..."

Chapter 205: Not Accepting the Loss (1)

Chu Lian had been in the middle of leisurely drinking some nine-flower honey water that a palace servant had poured out for her. The moment she heard the announcement, she almost choked, and ended up having an intense coughing fit.

What? How could the winner of the competition be House Jing'an?!

Fortunately, they were seated far away from the main center of attention, so her lapse in elegance wasn’t noticed by many.

Xiyan quickly passed a handkerchief over to Chu Lian, worriedly whispering a question into her ear. "Third Young Madam, are you alright?"

Chu Lian waved her hand, indicating that she was fine.

By this time, most of the noble madams had turned to look in the direction of House Jing'an's party. After a moment's pause, some noble madams started giving their congratulations to Matriarch He.

Matriarch He had been stunned for a good couple seconds. However, she reacted just in time to lead her two granddaughters-in-law to graciously accept the congratulations headed their way.

Lady Pan was seated at a table right in front of them. Sharing her table was the wife of one of her husband's court colleagues: Lady Yang.

Lady Pan's table was currently frozen in the midst of an awkward atmosphere.

Just before the court lady had announced the winner, the madams at this table had already started congratulating Lady Pan. However, now that the winner wasn't the Pan Estate, their words had turned into slaps on Lady Pan's face.

Each of the madams who had spoken too hastily all had their heads lowered and their mouths tightly shut. They were trying their best to disappear into the ground.

Only Lady Yang remained calm with a smile on her face.

Lady Pan's warm, ever friendly face had lost its modest and amiable air; it was as black as the bottom of a pot.

She looked up at the main seats in disbelief. Everything had been arranged beforehand, so how come the results were so different? How could it be that House Jing'an had won?!

Unable to hold back her rage, Lady Pan stood up and took in a few deep breaths before she could manage to bring out a smile. She turned to the table that Matriarch He was seated at and said, "Matriarch He, that's quite the talent you've hidden away. I wonder if I might have the luck to taste the round cakes you've offered up today?"

Chu Lian's brows furrowed together. However, Matriarch He was the most senior member of the family present right now, so it wasn't her place to speak as a granddaughter-in-law.

Lady Yang also stood up. However, she didn't say a word and simply continued looking in the direction of House Jing'an with a smile in her eyes. When she looked at Chu Lian, her expression turned especially warm and kind.

Lady Pan refused to believe that House Jing'an's round cakes had managed to win the competition!

The others might still be in the dark, but she knew for a fact that House Jing'an's round cakes had been stolen away by someone right when they had entered Ninghe Palace!

If some random replacement cakes from who knows where could win the competition, it would be a slap in the face to all the noble participants here!

She was going to expose House Jing'an's tricks today, right in front of the Emperor! Lady Pan had one single thought in her mind; she wanted to see how House Jing’an would be able to hold their heads up high once she was through with them!

Imperial Concubine Wei was seated diagonally across from where all the noble titled ladies were. She just so happened to glance over curiously at the area where House Jing'an's table was situated. When she saw that some noble madams had stood up and seemed to be fighting, the corners of her eyes curved upwards in a subtle display of her inner joy. If they hadn’t started fighting by now, it would have been a waste of her effort arranging this entire play!

When the Chengping Emperor cast his gaze sideways, he noticed that Imperial Concubine Wei's expression was all smiles. He took up his wine cup for a sip, using that movement to follow where her gaze was directed at. Then, he suddenly said, "Concubine, it seems like you're rather happy today?"

Imperial Concubine Wei froze for a moment before quickly discarding the out-of-place expression on her face. She coquettishly replied, "Your Majesty, this lovely Mid-Autumn Festival only comes around once a year. How could your humble concubine not be joyous?"

The Chengping Emperor turned his gaze onto her and set down his wine cup, uttering an ambiguous, "Is that so?" in reply.

"Of course. How could your humble concubine dare to deceive Your Majesty?"

Royal Princess Duanjia had also noticed the commotion. When she saw that Chu Lian seemed to be in trouble, she quickly stood up, wanting to go over and help. However, she was held back by Princess Wei.

"Mother! Don't stop me, I want to go over and take a look. That idiot Chu Liu is getting bullied again!"

Princess Wei glared at her. "You're forbidden from going there! If you go there now, you'll just be adding to the trouble. Jinyi isn't as stupid as you might think. If she really didn't have a way to deal with them, she would’ve naturally sent someone to us for help."

"But..."

"No buts. Stay here and watch. Who knows if the bully will end up getting their way?"

After Princess Wei had given her orders, Royal Princess Duanjia could only sit down and watch the situation from afar with a face full of anxiety.

Matriarch He had been socialising for years with these noble madams, ever since she was a young lady herself. So of course she wasn't someone to be bullied so easily. Lady Pan's forceful request to take a look at House Jing'an's round cakes had clearly come out of her disbelief that they had actually won the competition. In seeking to verify the truth for herself, it was obvious she was looking to make some trouble for them.

When Matriarch He noticed the confidence in Lady Pan's expression, the pieces of the puzzle fell into place. That mysterious attacker who had stolen away their estate's round cakes definitely had something to do with this Lady Pan.

Although Matriarch He was already getting on in age and her hair was already completely white, her eyes were still sharp and she still had her wits about her.

Matriarch He didn't back down one bit. Instead, it was Madam Zou who shrunk back upon facing the eyes of all the other noble madams around them. She shuffled behind the matriarch in an attempt to hide herself.

She had completely forgotten her jealousy of Chu Lian taking her place to offer up the round cakes, and was simply relieved that this had nothing to do with her.

Chu Lian was standing by Matriarch He's side and holding onto her arm. When she saw that Matriarch He hadn't backed down, and had even straightened up, Chu Lian felt like she had grown a few inches taller herself.

"Lady Pan, are you purposely trying to trouble this old woman? The round cakes have already been offered up to the Empress Dowager. If Lady Pan would like to taste them, then I'm afraid you'll have to ask for that favour from the Empress Dowager herself!"

Chapter 206: Not Accepting the Loss (2)

Lady Pan was so enraged that her hands started to tremble, hidden under the broad sleeves of her court dress. She tossed her sleeves and left the banquet area. When she reached the platform where the esteemed personages were seated, she bowed towards the Empress Dowager.

The Empress Dowager was already old, so she couldn't clearly see the person who had just walked up to the bottom of the platform and greeted her. It was a court lady off to the side who quickly informed her of the person's identity.

"Lady Pan? What business do you have?"

Although Empress Shen didn't know what had happened behind the scenes at the banquet today, she was happy to watch the drama unfold. She continued looking upon the scene before her with her eyebrows raised.

When Lady Pan heard the Empress Dowager personally replying to her, her excitement sparked. She respectfully answered, "Replying to Your Grace, for the sake of the Mid-Autumn Banquet's round cake competition, your humble servant started researching on new recipes for round cakes half a year ago. Thus, it's quite hard for your humble servant to accept today's loss. Might Your Grace be inclined to favour your humble servant with some of the winning round cakes of this year's competition? Your humble servant will be able to rest easy upon tasting them."

Lady Pan had a distinguished and powerful background, so she had the ability to speak this freely to the Empress Dowager. If it had been any other courtier's wife who had dared to cast even the slightest bit of doubt on the Empress Dowager's decision, they would have been accused of the crime of lese majeste.

However, even if it was Lady Pan who had brought forth such a request, her actions were still slightly inappropriate.

When the Empress Dowager heard the reason for this request, her expression turned stormy. Actually, the Empress Dowager couldn't care less for the judging of the round cakes. In her old age, she had simply wanted to enjoy some lively festivities at the Mid-Autumn Banquet. However, this doubting of her judgement had caused her mood to turn sour.

Although the Empress Dowager didn't take Lady Pan to blame for her request, her voice had lost all traces of kindness when she replied.

"Since that is so, I'll let you satisfy your uneasiness. Go, bring over House Jing'an's round cakes and let all the noble madams try some."

The court lady-in-waiting serving the Empress Dowager bobbed in acknowledgement before quickly leading away two handmaids to the area where the round cakes were on display.

The Chengping Emperor sat on the highest seat, casting his gaze over the proceedings below him without any change in expression, as if he hadn't been the one to pick the winner of the round cake competition.

When Lady Pan heard that the Empress Dowager had actually acquiesced to her request, she immediately relaxed. She turned to look in the direction of House Jing'an's ladies with a disdainful glare, as if she had already seen their terrible end.

The court lady serving the Empress Dowager was conscientious in her work. She split House Jing'an's round cakes into many portions and had them placed in pure white porcelain dishes. She then instructed a few handmaids to serve them up to Lady Pan, as well as the Emperor, his wives, and the extended imperial family.

A handmaid brought the porcelain dish up to Lady Pan's side. She knelt down and said, "Noble Madam, this is today's winning round cakes. Please have a taste."

By the time the handmaid finished speaking, the noble madams around her had already focused their gazes onto the dish in her hands. When they looked at the pastries being served in those porcelain dishes, they drew in their breaths in surprise.

It was a round pastry with a flowery pattern on top. The edges were repeating waves that formed a flower, while an exquisite 'fortune' character was carved into the pastry skin that had been baked a beautiful golden-brown. Each piece was only about the size of half an egg, and there were five in the dish.

Impossible! How could there be such a complicated pattern on such a small piece of confection? The amount of detail on it was comparable to a piece of embroidery!

Even before the noble madams had taken a single bite, their attention had already been stolen away by the sheer exquisiteness of the pastries.

Madam Zou stared at that small dish in disbelief. Where... where had these beautiful pastries come from? Why hadn't she seen or known of these before? When her mind led her to this thought, she abruptly turned to Chu Lian, who was standing next to Matriarch He. It was her! It was her younger sister-in-law again!

Actually, Matriarch He hadn't seen Chu Lian's replacements for the round cakes either, so her heart had been beating like a drum in her chest. Upon seeing them for herself, half of her remaining anxiety eased away.

She turned to Chu Lian with a warm gaze, and Chu Lian returned it with a faint smile.

However, Lady Pan's expression had turned for the worse. She picked up one of the offered pastries with a trembling hand. When she bit through the pastry skin, there was some soft stuffing inside that looked translucent. She couldn't tell what it was made of, but it was similar to the stuffing of traditional round cakes. There was even a thin layer of sweetened bean paste in the center. The pastry was very small, so it wouldn’t make someone feel bloated after eating one. The soft skin broke easily, and the stuffing within was slightly sweet and sticky with a hint of the fragrance of red beans. After finishing off one piece, even Lady Pan felt like snagging one more from the dish...

It was only when she had reached her hand out that she remembered what she had set out to do.

She gulped the saliva that had pooled in her mouth from eating House Jing'an's 'round cake'. Although she wasn't willing to admit it, the truth was staring her right in the face. Furthermore, everyone was about to get a chance to taste House Jing'an's round cakes, and the voice of the people would decide this match. She couldn't refute the judgement any further.

After Lady Pan had taken a mooncake, Lady Yang had immediately taken one for herself as well. After eating it up, she shot a satisfied look over at Chu Lian. The remaining mooncakes were split between the other noble madams, who all voiced their praise for the confections.

Princess Wei's table had also been given some mooncakes. When Royal Princess Duanjia looked at the confection placed before her mother, she commented on what she found strange about it. "Hmm? This pastry... Isn't this the same one I took from Chu Liu in the imperial gardens? Chu Liu told me these were called 'mooncakes' or something. How did they turn into round cakes?"

"Oh? Mooncakes?"

"Mm! Chu Liu said so. But whatever they're called, they're really delicious! Mother, try it now! The one I ate had some salty egg yolk inside."

Princess Wei smiled and bit into that exquisite little mooncake. Mmmm... This one was indeed actually salty. There was... ham in the stuffing? Wonderful. It suited her tastes perfectly.

In the grand hall of Ninghe Palace, everyone who had eaten House Jing'an's round cakes shot strange looks at Lady Pan.

Lady Pan had been completely disgraced today. She took the initiative to step up to the Empress Dowager and admit her wrong. As the banquet continued, she didn't say a single word, and when the banquet ended, she led her servants away and quickly left the palace. It seemed like she wasn’t going to bother with making small talk after the banquet today.

Chapter 207: A Request from Old Duchess Zheng (1)

Since House Jing'an's round cakes had won the competition, Matriarch He was quickly surrounded by all the noble ladies who wanted to congratulate her on the win. The Empress Dowager even specially awarded her with a sapphire headdress, adding on to House Jing'an's glory.

Even after so many years, Matriarch He had never enjoyed such attention in the palace before. It was only natural she was in an extremely good mood now. As Chu Lian had decided to stay by her grandmother’s side for the duration of the banquet, many of the noble ladies surrounding them also directed questions towards her.

Since Matriarch He was intending to introduce her to the others anyway, Chu Lian took the chance to get acquainted with a number of noble madams in the capital.

The banquet eventually spiraled down to a close. As the time approached to leave the palace, Princess Wei sent one of her court ladies over to invite Chu Lian to come play at Prince Wei's estate in a few days, thus drawing another wave of envy from the ladies gathered.

They departed from the hall afterwards and made their way over to House Jing’an’s carriage. Just as Chu Lian was about to help Matriarch He up, they were hailed by an elderly woman came rushing over from behind.

This elderly madam was no stranger; it was Old Duchess Zheng. Beside her was a slightly chubby, middle-aged lady, who had such a friendly smile, her eyes turned into a pair of two cheerful crescents.

"Old Sister, please hold on!"

Matriarch He turned around, only to see her old friend. She smiled in welcome and said, "We're sisters, the two of us. Why the rush? Walk a little slower, and be careful not to strain your waist!"

Old Duchess Zheng came over with a wide smile. When she reached Matriarch He's side, she first smiled at Chu Lian before turning back to the matriarch. "There’s a certain matter that I’ve come looking for Old Sister for..."

Matriarch He generously answered, "There's no need to be so courteous between us. Just say it straight."

Old Duchess Zheng was about to speak of her matter when Chu Lian caught sight of some people who had just exited the palace behind them. That person with a round face and slender brows- wasn't that Lady Pan?

Hadn't she left the banquet early on? Why was she only exiting the palace at this hour?

Chu Lian's brows drew together in a slight crease. They had offended Lady Pan earlier today, so she was afraid that they would get into a quarrel if they bumped into each other now. Thus, she Chu Lian suggested, "Grandmother, there are many people coming and going here. How about chatting inside the carriage instead? It might be more comfortable for Grandmother and Old Duchess Zheng."

Matriarch He had clearly spotted Lady Pan on the way out of the palace with her group of servants in tow. Thus, she invited Old Duchess Zheng into House Jing'an's wide carriage and they boarded together.

Although the carriage was quite spacious, it wasn't meant to serve as an actual room. With all four of them here, it became a little cramped.

Madam Zou had just lifted the curtain and was about to enter when Matriarch He said, "Dalang's wife, the carriage is a little cramped. Go to the one at the back instead!"

The hand that Madam Zou was using to hold up the carriage curtain clenched. She looked up at the four people seated inside before bowing slightly to Matriarch He and leaving for the other carriage.

Chu Lian glanced at Madam Zou's departing figure and sighed inwardly.

The distance between them had still increased in the end.

Her eldest sister-in-law was already looking at her through tinted glasses. From now on, no matter what she did, Madam Zou would probably look badly on her. Chu Lian wasn't one to go seeking trouble- as long as no one tried to attack her. Although she didn't like squabbling over petty matters, she wasn't one to sit back and let others take her to task, either. In the future, she and Madam Zou would be like a well and a river; their waters were not to seep or mix with each other.

Duke Zheng's estate wasn't far from Count Jing'an's estate. They would be taking the same route along Zhuque Avenue for some time anyway, so this was a convenient time for them to talk.

With House Zheng's carriage following behind, the two old sisters chatted in House Jing'an's carriage with a lively air.

Old Duchess Zheng had also seen something fishy in the events at the banquet. She held onto Matriarch He's hand and reassured her, "It's not uncommon for things like that to happen when it comes to such a big occasion. It's fine as long as you've made it out safely."

Matriarch He nodded and smiled at Old Duchess Zheng. "Oh you. Stop thinking about that. Hasn't our House benefited from that unfortunate turn of events?"

Old Duchess Zheng smiled and looked at Chu Lian. "After tasting those round cakes, I just knew it was your young lady's idea. Since Sanlang isn't at home, you probably don't have much to do in your estate. Come to the Zheng Estate with your grandmother some other time."

Chu Lian was slightly surprised. She hadn't thought that Old Duchess Zheng would take the initiative to give her an invite to her estate. In the original story, this old madam was like a hermit. She would only socialise with the few madams she had befriended in her younger days.

Chu Lian turned to Matriarch He. For a matter like this, it was better for Matriarch He to make the decision for her as the senior member of her family.

Matriarch He was very satisfied with Chu Lian's action. She playfully rebuked her old friend and said, "I think you just want to taste my granddaughter-in-law's culinary skills for yourself. Inviting her over to play is just a pretense!"

Even though Old Duchess Zheng and Matriarch He had already been close friends for a few decades, when she heard Matriarch He exposing her ploy, Old Duchess Zheng still blushed a little.

She sighed lightly and said, "I'm not going to hide things from you. I've brought my daughter-in-law along with a request."

Chu Lian found it strange. Duke Zheng had a very successful career, and their only heir was in the Imperial College. In the coming Autumn Examinations, he would definitely be able to place in the higher ranks. It could be said that all things were going smoothly for House Zheng. Why, then, did Old Duchess Zheng need to request help from Matriarch He?

Even if she were to request for help, something that troubled House Zheng was likely something that Matriarch He wouldn't be able to help with. Although Matriarch He was highly regarded in their social circles and was even close friends with the Empress Dowager, she didn't have the power to interfere with the court.

Suddenly, a thought flashed through Chu Lian's mind, which rendered her speechless.

"Do speak directly. As long as it's something within my means, I'll do my best to help."

Old Duchess Zheng shot a sideways look at Matriarch He and seemed a little tongue-tied. When the younger Duchess Zheng saw that her mother-in-law was too embarrassed to speak up, she helped her out by saying, "Matriarch He, the matter is like this..."

Chapter 208: A Request from Duchess Zheng (2)

When Matriarch He heard her explanation, she was stunned. She couldn't have imagined that the problem laid with Old Duke Zheng. Apparently, he was currently bedridden and refusing food and drink.

Those close to House Zheng knew that Old Duke Zheng was a glutton for food. He had visited most of the top-ranked restaurants in the capital. Ever since he had passed the duke's seat to his heir, Old Duke Zheng would travel far and wide every day to search for any and all gourmet food. He had recently returned home two months ago, but for some reason, he had completely lost his appetite! It was almost to the point that Old Duke Zheng was refusing to eat any food at all.

When the reason behind her request was revealed, the two Duchesses Zheng looked at Chu Lian with hope in their eyes. Chu Lian felt a little embarrassed to be the focus of their expectant stares.

Matriarch He hadn't thought that Old Duchess Zheng's request would turn out to be something like this. She didn't know whether to laugh or cry; her only choice was to tell the truth. "Old Sister, I know that you're worried for Old Duke Zheng. I'll just speak honestly with you: Sanlang's wife does know how to make some interesting new dishes, but we can't promise that we'll be able to solve your problem for you. We can only say that Sanlang's wife will try her best."

"Aye! Of course! As long as Honoured Lady Jinyi is willing to help out, I'll be endlessly grateful. We have simply run out of ideas. The old man isn't willing to eat anything at all. If this continues, his body won't be able to hold on..." It was clear by her tone that Old Duchess Zheng was anxious.

After they had finally gotten Chu Lian's agreement as well as Matriarch He’s promise to help with Old Duchess Zheng's request, they set the date to come visit the Zheng Estate for three days later.

Chu Lian wanted to hide her face in her hands, but she honestly didn't know whether it was to start sobbing or laughing her heart out. In the original story, Old Duke Zheng had passed away about two months from now. Had the cause of his death truly been from refusing food after being unable to taste the gourmet flavours he craved for?

When they reached the point where their paths home diverged, Old Duchess Zheng bid her farewells and led her daughter-in-law back to their own carriage.

Now only Matriarch He and Chu Lian were left in the carriage.

Matriarch He gently petted Chu Lian's fair, tender hand. "Lian'er, you've done us a great service today. Otherwise, our house would have completely lost its reputation."

Chu Lian realised that the matriarch liked to call her 'Lian'er' when they were talking in private.

She smiled and said, "Grandmother, don't say that. I'm also a part of House Jing'an; I was just doing my part for our House."

When she heard Chu Lian's answer, Matriarch He was even more gratified. "You silly child. It's been hard for you. It's not all your eldest sister-in-law's fault today, so don't hold a grudge against her. Grandmother knows that it's not easy for her either."

Chu Lian felt a slight pang of shock. She hadn't expected the matriarch to think that she might hold a grudge. "We're all one big family. What is there to hold a grudge over? Eldest Sister-in-law couldn't have known that she would lose the round cakes like that. We still need Eldest Sister-in-law to manage our household in the future!"

"Grandmother knows. Your eldest sister-in-law has been treating you too harshly recently. Don't worry, Grandmother will remind her of her duties."

Chu Lian tried her best to suppress the fright in her heart. She didn't realise that Matriarch He had those sorts of thoughts in her mind. Did she think that Chu Lian had come out to save the day and bring glory to the family just to slap Madam Zou in the face for mistreating her?

Chu Lian inwardly sighed. The fatigue of the day was starting to catch up with her. No wonder the older generations liked to say that communication was key. Chu Lian felt that clearing the misunderstanding with Matriarch He right now would be better than letting it persist and affect her later on.

Chu Lian looked up at the matriarch. Her almond-shaped eyes shone with intelligence under the dim lighting of the lanterns within the carriage.

"Grandmother, there's an order of seniority in the family. It was Granddaughter-in-Law's fortune to be able to marry into the He Family. Granddaughter-in-Law doesn't have much ambition or talent, and would just like to live out peaceful days full of making delicious food. If it earns some income, then that's even better. Granddaughter-in-Law is very lazy. After doing all these things, Granddaughter-in-Law would rather take a nap in the courtyard or give Grandmother some company. Although Sanlang is from the main line of inheritance, he's the third son after all. There are two older brothers above him, and Granddaughter-in-Law naturally ranks the lowest in this family. Eventually, we might even have a Second Sister-in-Law joining the family!"

What Chu Lian wanted to say was that she really didn't want to be in control of the household, and she didn't have any intention at all to oust Eldest Brother-in-Law or Eldest Sister-in-law from their places in the family.

As she watched the young girl before her making such a clear case for herself, Matriarch He's sharp eyes grew ever brighter. In the end, she sighed and patted Chu Lian's hand. "Grandmother has blamed you unjustly."

Chu Lian was finally able to relax. Everything that she had just said were her true thoughts. It was better to be a layabout. Who would want to crack their brains thinking about how to support a noble house all day? As well as trying to figure out how to best socialise with the various other noble houses in the capital?

Chu Lian smiled and shook her head. "I don't blame Grandmother. Our hearts are all hidden in our chests. Even the wisest man wouldn't be able to see into human hearts. Granddaughter-in-Law just hopes that Grandmother can voice out any problems first, rather than keeping it inside. Granddaughter-in-Law will definitely change for the better!"

Being frank and sincere, as well as opening your heart, was the best way to communicate.

Chu Lian had no desire to play twisted mind games with others.

Matriarch He found that she was starting to like this granddaughter-in-law of hers even more, after this honest talk with her in the carriage.

She reached out to poke Chu Lian in the forehead. "You silly girl! Don't think that Grandmother can't see through your thoughts! You just want to laze at home all day. Although your eldest sister-in-law is around to take care of the family, you can't be too lazy either, since you're the lady-in-charge for your branch of the family. In the future, when all of us seniors aren't around anymore, you and Sanlang will have to separate your branch of the family and live on your own. If you don't know how to do anything at all, how are you going to manage your own house in the future?"

After Chu Lian had cleared away the doubts in Matriarch He's heart, she started to act cutely like a child towards the matriarch. Matriarch He was the first senior who had treated her well since she had come to the Great Wu Dynasty, so she had already taken this affable old woman to be her real grandmother in her heart.

She leaned against Matriarch He's side and playfully replied, "But Grandmother will still be around to help Granddaughter-in-Law out~! When Sanlang and I leave the estate to create our own household, Grandmother has to come along, too! Otherwise, Granddaughter-in-Law won't be able to manage a household on her own! The servants will make fun of me then!"

"You little imp! Since you already know that, why are you still trying to think of ways to skive off all day?"

Chapter 209: An Old Matriarch's Worries (1)

Even though Matriarch He said that, she knew that Sanlang's wife wasn't stupid. She had been watching Sanlang's wife this whole time. Perhaps she really was a lazy bones and didn't like to manage others. However, her little courtyard was managed very well. It was clear that Chu Lian just didn't like to work. Why had she been so wary of this lazy little imp trying to steal the main branch's authority? She was really getting on in her years if she hadn’t even been able to recognize Chu Lian’s true nature!

"Alright, alright. All you know how to do is act like a spoilt child. Wait until Sanlang comes back, then you can use that act on him instead! Grandmother's heart can't take your silliness anymore. Oh yes, what about that restaurant Grandmother gave to you? How is it doing now?"

Chu Lian chuckled and sat up straight again before she replied, "Don't worry, Grandmother! Granddaughter-in-Law has already made some arrangements. We'll be able to reopen in a few more days. By then, Grandmother has to help Granddaughter-in-Law out and grace the restaurant with your illustrious presence!"

When her thoughts led to the restaurant, something else had the matriarch worrying all over again.

The title of Count Jing'an was surely going to be passed down to Dalang. Sanlang had left so hurriedly for the northern border. Who knew if he would be able to make a name for himself out there? Although Sanlang's wife was a good child, with House Ying as her background, she surely didn't have much money at hand now. How was she supposed to maintain her own household in the future?

She only hoped that this young girl could really make something out of Guilin Restaurant again. She didn't hope for Chu Lian to earn tons of gold; it would be good enough if she could have at least a meager source of income for her household. That way, when Sanlang returned in a few more years, the couple would have a nice nest egg. As long as Matriarch He helped out by adding some gold here and there, their lives wouldn't be too poor.

Now there was only that disappointing brat, Erlang, who still refused to marry. Matriarch He had to keep some money in reserve for him as well. With so many areas to fund, as full as her purse might be now, it was slowly being slimmed further and further.

Her daughter-in-law's medicine fees would still have to be drawn from the shared household funds, too. That would be a humongous expense. When she thought of this, Matriarch He started feeling overwhelmed by all her worries.

To most people, it might look like a bed of roses to be a member of a noble house. However, if the noble house didn't have someone who knew how to earn money, then searching for sources of income was a massive headache on its own.

When Matriarch He was younger and in charge of the He household, she had managed to save up a good amount of money for her personal funds. She could be considered a rather wise matriarch from this action alone. However, she still wasn't all that good at business, and she had only managed to keep the properties in her hands running as per usual, rather than improving them somehow.

Later on, when she passed on the household management to her daughter-in-law, Countess Jing'an hadn't been in charge for long. She had given birth to her three sons during those years and hurt her body. The household management rights had been passed back to Matriarch He.

It wasn't until Madam Zou had married into the family that the rights had passed into her hands. However, Madam Zou was even worse at making money than Matriarch He, so it was good enough that their stores had even been able to continue operating as usual.

If not for the fact that Matriarch He had trained up some loyal managers in her younger days and kept them in charge of the family properties, most of their businesses would probably be in the same state as Guilin Restaurant.

House Jing'an didn't have much spare income and it was impossible for Madam Zou to expect any extra money from her mother-in-law, Madam Liu. Her dowry had all been used for her own medicine. Although Matriarch He did contribute some funds to the household from time to time, she had to keep enough for her grandsons as well, so she didn't give much.

Madam Zou hadn't been able to give Dalang any heirs for so many years, so she put all her heart into managing the household to assuage her inner guilt. Sometimes, when the household expenses exceeded the monthly budget, she would use her own personal funds to cover the difference.

However, this wasn't a long-term solution. Madam Zou's personal funds weren't unlimited.

Erlang was serving in the Dragon Guards and didn't come home much. He practically wasn't involved with managing the household at all. Dalang had gotten a slack position. Although he tried his best to support the Jing'an Estate, he was still a military man to his core, just like his father, Count Jing'an. He looked down upon merchants and their sneaky ways, so he rarely bothered with helping to increase the estate's income.

The men of the He Family were all hotheads. Although they didn't spend much, they didn't think to make more money for the family either. This had the ladies of the Jing'an Estate wracking their brains for ways to keep their household afloat.

If they had more clan members like the other noble families did, they would still be alright. If the main branch wasn't good at business, then they still had the other branches to support the family. However, Count Jing'an was the only son, and their ancestors had mostly been single sons as well.

Old Count Jing'an had a brother, but he had died on the battlefield, leaving behind a single daughter. That daughter had gotten married, but she died in the second year of marriage due to a difficult birth, and they hadn't managed to save her child, either.

It was only when they reached He Changdi's generation that they had miraculously gotten three sons in the same generation. This was also why Matriarch He still favoured and respected Madam Liu even though she had gotten injured while giving birth to He Changdi and was now mostly bedridden. Madam Liu had helped the He Family spread their family tree.

However, who could have expected that their youngest generation would cause them so much worry? The eldest son's wife hadn't been able to give birth to a male heir despite close to ten years of marriage. The second son refused to marry. Worried for Sanlang's future, Matriarch He had been forced to plead the Empress Dowager to bestow an engagement to a lady of House Ying for He Changdi.

Now that she thought about it, after so many years, that decision was the best one she had ever made.

Chapter 210: An Old Matriarch's Worries (2)

Although the matriarch was deep in thought, in reality, not too much time had passed. Chu Lian noticed how occupied Matriarch He was and didn’t disturb her.

Suddenly, Matriarch He's eyes caught sight of a brocade box placed to the side. This was the sapphire headdress that the Empress Dowager had awarded them for winning the round cake competition.

Her expression changed slightly and she turned to look at Chu Lian. Her young granddaughter-in-law's eyes were fluttering as she fought the urge to sleep. Her head was shaking as she was close to nodding off.

The worry in Matriarch He's heart eased away for a moment. This child was just a carefree one, never taking anything to heart. Something that would draw the average person’s attention was no more than background decoration to her. She really wondered how House Ying had managed to bring up a lady with this kind of personality.

"Sanlang's wife! Wake up!"

After calling once without receiving a reply- in fact, Chu Lian’s head was about to hit the wall of the carriage- Matriarch He found the situation was actually rather funny. She reached out and lightly poked her sleepy granddaughter-in-law.

Chu Lian jolted awake. It had been a tiring day for her, after all. Her nerves had been tightly wound all day, and it was only now that she finally got the chance to relax. Her eyelids were struggling to stay open.

"Ah? Grandmother, what's wrong? Are we home yet?"

Matriarch He purposely put on a strict expression as she said, "What do you mean, are we home yet? There's still a long way to go!"

Chu Lian's shoulders drooped. "It's too tiring to enter the palace... Grandmother, please please please don't bring Granddaughter-in-Law here next time! Granddaughter-in-Law prefers to sleep at home and cook."

Matriarch He patted Chu Lian's slender shoulders a little helplessly. "You're really a lazy little imp. Alright, drink some tea to help your mind stay awake. We don't even have a blanket in this carriage, so you can't sleep. It won't be good if you catch a cold. We're almost home, so hang in there for a while longer."

Chu Lian slapped her own cheeks and managed to chase away some of her sleepiness. When she turned and saw that Matriarch He was still looking watching her with no small degree of amusement, she tilted her head to the side and asked, "Does Grandmother have something else to say?"

When Matriarch He's eyes met with the bright, clear eyes of Sanlang's wife, she felt a mysterious comfort soothe her heart. She nodded and pointed at the brocade box in the corner. "Lian'er, who do you think this headdress should belong to?"

Chu Lian cast a sideways glance at the brocade box before remembering that this was the sapphire headdress that the Empress Dowager had awarded to them. She wasn't all that interested in accessories. She would simply wear some normal ones usually, and she wasn't very picky with them. Furthermore, she had managed to peek at the headdress when the Empress Dowager had awarded it to them. It was indeed an exquisite, expensive-looking ornament. However, perhaps due to the passing of time, the style it was made in was a little old, and it didn't suit a young girl like her.

Matriarch He was watching Chu Lian. When her eyes drifted to the brocade box, her expression had remained unchanged as if the contents didn't attract her one bit. The matriarch was satisfied with this reaction.

"Granddaughter-in-Law feels that this headdress should be given to Eldest Sister-in-law. Eldest Sister-in-law has also suffered no small amount of fright today." Chu Lian said with a smile.

As much as she had already lost all interest in making friends with Madam Zou, since Matriarch He was clearly expecting her to say something along those lines, then she would go along with her wishes. Anyway, Matriarch He was still going to be the one in charge of determining the recipient of the headdress. She knew that Matriarch He would still give it to Madam Zou in the end, no matter what she said. Since the stage was already set like this, why go against the flow?

Actually, Chu Lian didn't really care. Anyway, it wouldn't end up in her hands anyway, so it didn't matter who got it. And since it was a gift from the Empress Dowager, they couldn't even sell it for money, anyway. Getting it was the same as getting a pretty decoration to occasionally admire.

As expected, Matriarch He's smile turned softer. "Good child, you're starting to think along the same lines as Grandmother now."

Chu Lian was as thick-skinned as they came. After receiving Matriarch He's praise, she didn't blush at all. She even smiled from ear to ear, showing off her pearly white teeth.

When they returned to the Jing'an Estate, Matriarch He instructed her to return to her courtyard to rest. She was still in the middle of growing, after all!

Chu Lian didn't stand on courtesy. Rather than refusing the offer, she declined to send Matriarch He back to her own courtyard, and let Xiyan help her back to Songtao Court.

She had gone out in the morning and only arrived back when it was dark. Chu Lian had zero energy left after this exhausting day. Wenqing even had to be on standby to help her while she bathed.

Chu Lian climbed onto the bed and burrowed under her blankets. It wasn't long before she fell asleep.

Senior Servant Gui was both gratified and sympathetic to her plight. She pulled the covers over Chu Lian before ordering Jingyan to keep watch over her. It was only then that she returned to her own room to rest.

Chapter 211: Food Delivery (1)

A day after the the Mid-Autumn Festival, Heir Jing’an, He Changqi, invited his friends to a small gathering at the Jing’an estate. As she had promised Matriarch He and her eldest brother-in-law, Chu Lian intended to make a few special dishes to be served at the gathering. She began preparations not long before noon, Chu Lian guiding them as her maidservants worked together to execute her instructions. The dishes would be sent to the outer court at a later time.

However, Chu Lian was He Changdi's wife after all. It wouldn’t be very appropriate if she and her maidservants brought the dishes to the outer court just like that. She thought for a moment and decided that it would be better to go over to Qingxi Hall first and let Matriarch He’s servants send the dishes instead.

When they arrived at the entrance of Qingxi Hall, they could hear the sounds of conversation from inside. Matriarch He’s handmaid, Muxiang, happened to be on her way out at this time, and spotted Chu Lian at the entrance. Muxiang smiled and greeted her. “Third Young Madam, you’ve come over! Please come in. Eldest Young Madam and the two young ladies are already inside!”

After she said so, Muxiang lifted the bamboo blinds covering the entrance, allowing Chu Lian to continue forward as she took the big box of food from Mingyan’s hands. Next, Muxiang followed behind Chu Lian as she walked into the parlour of Qingxi Hall.

Matriarch He was seated in the highest ranked seat. Chu Lian didn’t know what Matriarch He and Madam Zou were talking about, but they were laughing together and obviously in a very good mood. Chu Lian’s gaze shot over to Madam Zou. She noticed that Madam Zou was wearing a navy-blue dress made in the latest style, with a sheer smoky blue outer garment. The ornament on her head was the sapphire headdress bestowed by the Empress Dowager at the Mid-Autumn Banquet. Although she was dressed elegantly, it was a pity that this headdress looked very old-fashioned and added several years to her age. Madam Zou was only in her mid-twenties, but looked to be in her mid-thirties instead with this headdress.

Madam Zou was all smiles. Whatever she had said before seemed to have amused Matriarch He.

“Greetings to Grandmother and Eldest Sister-in-Law.” Chu Lian bobbed towards the both of them.

“Sanlang's wife, you’ve arrived! Come and sit down. Your Eldest Brother-in-Law just sent someone over from the outer court to inquire about the food!”

Madam Zou cast a glance over at her and found that Chu Lian was still dressed in plain casual clothes. Her black hair was fixed into a bun and was only adorned with a single green jade hairpin. She wasn’t wearing any other jewellery, either. Only upon seeing this did Madam Zou inwardly heave a sigh of relief.

It seemed that Chu Lian wasn’t intending to go to the outer court, if she was dressed like this.

Chu Lian gave a slight smile and said, “One of the dishes had to be stewed for a longer period of time, so Granddaughter-in-Law was delayed for a bit. Grandmother, Eldest Sister-in-Law, please forgive Granddaughter-in-Law for being late.”

Matriarch He pulled Chu Lian to her side. If she didn’t have to worry about Dalang’s wife being there, Matriarch He would definitely have pinched Chu Lian’s tiny nose. “Silly child, how could Grandmother blame you? Senior Servant Liu, take these food boxes to the outer court.”

Right after Matriarch He finished speaking, Madam Zou quickly spoke up. “Grandmother, since they’re Dalang’s close friends, there’s no need to trouble Senior Servant Liu. It would be better for Granddaughter-in-Law to send these over personally!”

Matriarch He casually glanced at Madam Zou’s dressed up appearance. She paused for a moment before nodding. “Why don’t you lead the servants to send them over, then? Just be careful on the way there. Don't let Dalang lose face in front of his friends.”

Seeing that Matriarch He had agreed, Madam Zou heaved a sigh of relief and quickly reassured her. “Please don’t worry, Grandmother. Granddaughter-in-Law knows how to behave appropriately.”

Madam Zou then bowed respectfully towards Matriarch He before she led her servants away with the food boxes, hurrying over to the outer court.

It wasn’t until Madam Zou's figure had passed through the entrance of the parlour that Chu Lian smiled and said, “Grandmother, I boiled an entire pot of old duck soup just now. I made sure that the meat was soft enough to come right off the bone, so it’s perfect for you to eat! Today, Granddaughter-in-Law offers up this dish and will trade it for a free meal here with you. Does Grandmother have a seat at the table for me?"

"Pfft," Matriarch He laughed. "There’s no need to act like that, silly child. You can just admit it if you want to have a meal with Grandmother. "

Matriarch He instructed Muxiang to have the other maidservants serve up the meal.

Chu Lian ate lunch together with Matriarch He in Qingxi Hall. She waited upon Matriarch He until the matriarch took her afternoon nap before returning to her own Songtao Court.

Chapter 212: Food Delivery (2)

The sun chose today of all days to shine particularly bright, making it somewhat hot and stuffy. Fortunately, there was a small garden next to Songtao Court filled with blooming chrysanthemum flowers, and within the cluster of chrysanthemums, there was a decorative mountain with an interesting shape. Beside the mountain was a small stream that flowed directly into a lotus pond, and though the pond’s leaves and flowers had already withered away with the changing of the seasons, the autumn chrysanthemums made for a view worth admiring alongside the glimmering surface water. The combination of the three- mountain, pond, and flowers- made for a beautiful scene.

There was a zither room located next to this particular pavilion. Since it was close to Songtao Court, Chu Lian went there frequently in the afternoon to enjoy the cool weather.

As Chu Lian was on her way back to Songtao Court, she happened to pass by the little zither room. She glanced over at it and then told Mingyan behind her, “It's a little hot today; get someone to move a lounge chair over there. I'll have a nap over in that zither room.”

Meanwhile, in the hall of the outer court of the Jing’an Estate, a group of young men were seated at the main table. All of them were good friends of He Changqi, and had been invited for a small gathering.

Standing amongst them was the newly appointed young official of the Honglu Temple, Lord Ge. There was also Marquis Weiyuan, who had inherited his title not long ago from his predecessor; Madam Zou’s brother, Zou Wu, from the second branch of House Dingyuan; and House Zheng’s young heir, Zheng Tiancheng. There was also a tall young man in a green robe sitting right next to him: it was none other than Xiao Bojian from the Imperial College.

Xiao Bojian and He Changqi weren’t actually friends, or even acquaintances. He had been invited to the Jing’an Estate thanks to his connection to Heir Zheng.

Everyone present here knew that Heir Zheng had a best friend who was a senior brother one grade above him at the Imperial College.

Xiao Bojian’s looks were a perfect match to the aesthetic taste of the people of this era. Furthermore, he had a natural gentlemanly aura and carried himself with elegance. This meant that it was rare for anyone not to have a good impression of him.

Thus, Xiao Bojian had always been like a fish in water when interacting in society. People made friends with him most likely due to his good appearance and temperament while ignoring his humble background.

Lord Ge sipped at his cup of sencha and smiled. "Brother He, surely you’re not trying to play a trick on us? It’s going to be noon in the blink of an eye, but you haven’t ordered your servants to start serving the meal. Are you trying to let your brothers starve to death?”

A trace of awkwardness appeared on He Changqi’s face after he heard those words. A few days ago, he had boasted in front of his friends that he would be treating them to delicacies they had never seen before. He even used the longevity peach buns from House Dingyuan’s longevity feast to tempt his group of brothers, making them crave for food they hadn’t even seen yet. However, nothing had been served up till now, so even he was starving a little.

"Brothers, please stay calm. Since these are delicacies we’re talking about, it will definitely be worth the wait for us.” Xiao Bojian displayed a gentle smile, and everyone nodded in agreement.

He Changqi had mentioned in advance to everyone gathered today that the entire meal would be personally prepared by the Third Young Madam of House Jing’an, the Emperor's newly-conferred Honoured Lady Jinyi.

It could be considered an honour to be able to eat the food personally made by an Honoured Lady.

At last, He Changqi’s manservant came hurrying over and whispered something into his ear. He Changqi lit up in delight. "Brothers, it seems like our wait has finally paid off.”

As expected, a moment later, the luxuriously dressed Madam Zou entered the parlour, leading a maidservant with a huge food box who she directed to the dining table.

He Changqi's friends also got up to give Madam Zou a respectful bow. Apart from Madam Zou's older brother, each of them greeted her with a call of ‘Sister-in-Law’. Amongst these people, He Changqi was the oldest so there was nothing wrong with how they had addressed her.

Madam Zou rarely had the opportunity to meet with He Changqi’s good friends. Now that her husband had finally brought his friends over for a small gathering, she had to meet them and give them a good impression of her. However, she had dressed a little excessively today. A small gathering between close friends was supposed to be relaxed and comfortable, but she had inadvertently made the atmosphere a little stiff dressed like that. When Xiao Bojian lowered his head in a slight bow, his eyes were filled with disdain.

Chapter 213: Lies (1)

He Changqi's group of friends couldn't be bothered with judging Madam Zou once her handmaid began to take out dish after dish from the huge container, placing each onto the table.

The first dish was a whole row of sweet and sour pork ribs covered in a thick sauce, served on a delicate porcelain plate. The second dish was served in a clay pot, and upon lifting its lid, a fragrant aroma of braised duck drifted up from within. Next was a huge serving of poached fish slices that looked as soft and tender as tofu, covered in a layer of red hot chillis. Right after that came a plate of sauteed shredded pork in sweet bean sauce, decorated with thinly sliced spring onion. Then, a large bowl of steaming hot tofu soup... As each dish was placed on the table, the eyes of the seated gentlemen grew rounder and rounder.

Finally, the handmaid brought out a small pan and stove and placed it in the center of the table. When she carefully lit it up, the gentlemen all wore expressions of astonishment.

Heir Zheng had never seen such a method of eating before. Furthermore, he had never seen nor eaten anything like all the delicious, fragrant dishes placed on the table!

He pointed excitedly at the lit stove in the center. "Sister-in-Law, what's that called? I've never seen a dish like that before, even when I visited the palace!"

Seated at the host’s chair, He Changqi was clearly more than satisfied with the dishes that Chu Lian had cooked for them today. Other than the poached fish slices that he had eaten before, he had never seen nor heard of the other delicacies in his entire life.

Since Madam Zou was to present the dishes in place of Chu Lian, Chu Lian had already told her all about the dishes and their names.

By this time, all the hungry men had turned to look up at her with expectant gazes. Having those eyes fixed upon her gave Madam Zou the long-awaited satisfaction of having all attention drawn to her.

That satisfaction also gave her courage- the courage to follow through with a thought she had been harbouring now for some time.

Madam Zou smiled, showing off the elegant aura of a model noble lady.

Thus, He Changqi's friends heard her speak in a lovely, womanly voice. "Gentlemen, the one in the center is called a ‘dry steamboat’. This method of eating is very simple. You just have to prepare all the ingredients for cooking beforehand and place it in the pan. When you want to eat, all you have to do is light the fire underneath. It's very convenient."

Heir Zheng loved novel things, so he leaned forward to take a closer look before applauding and praising it. "Wonderful, wonderful! This is just too wonderful! With this, no matter when you're hungry, you'll be able to eat some freshly cooked food! What a great idea!"

The other men also voiced their agreement.

When Madam Zou heard Heir Zheng's praise, she was even happier. The corners of her lips curled as she couldn't hold back her excitement any longer. "Indeed. I just so happened to come up with this idea one day; I didn't think that Heir Zheng would like it this much."

The joy on everyone’s faces faded away as they all stiffened. He Changqi was flooded with embarrassment. He wanted to tug on his wife's sleeve to stop her, but Madam Zou was already carrying on with her explanation. "These here are poached fish slices. The red pieces floating on top are a new type of vegetable that Dalang bought over from some outsiders. I thought these looked strange and new, so I tried using them in my cooking. Who could have expected that these would enhance the flavour of the poached fish slices so much? You'll have to try it for yourself later! As for that dish over there..."

Madam Zou jabbered on by herself and introduced all the dishes on the table. However, she didn't realise that the expressions of everyone seated had already changed, shifting to something a little unusual. Xiao Bojian's slanted eyes were full of disdain. He looked at Madam Zou with contempt. This woman had just tried to claim Lian'er's credit for herself. Wasn't she even the slightest bit ashamed that she was speaking such blatant lies right in front of them?

He Changqi's face was already flushed red from his suppressed emotions. However, he just didn't have the heart to expose his wife upon seeing her so animated.

It wasn't until Madam Zou had finished introducing every single dish that she realised that her surroundings had fallen silent. The air around them wasn't as lively as it had been when the dishes were first brought out. She looked around, feeling a little lost as her heart leapt into her throat. Madam Zou tentatively asked, "What's wrong? Do you not like the dishes that Sister-in-Law has prepared?"

The young Marquis Weiyuan and Honglu Temple's Lord Ge both exchanged looks and had a tacit understanding. Marquis Weiyuan smiled and bowed towards Madam Zou. "Sister-in-Law, you're thinking too much. It's our fortune to be able to taste Sister-in-Law's cooking for ourselves."

After hearing Marquis Weiyuan's words, Madam Zou's heart settled down. She was about to speak further when He Changqi quickly cut in. "Alright, enough. I'm going to chat with my good friends here. Why don't you return first?"

Madam Zou could only keep her silence. It was a rare occasion for her husband to bring his friends over, after all. Furthermore, they were all men. It wasn't very appropriate for her to stay longer as a lady of the inner court. Thus, she bid her farewells to them and left with a distinguished and elegant air, accompanied by her maidservants.

Chapter 214: Lies (2)

It wasn't long after Madam Zou's figure had disappeared from sight that He Changqi stood up and bowed deeply to his friends with his fists cupped together. "My humble wife wasn't honest. I would like to ask for your forgiveness, and hope that you won't hold it against her for this dishonesty."

Madam Zou didn't know that He Changqi had already told his friends about Chu Lian's cooking, and instead, she had suddenly tried to steal all the credit in front of He Changqi and his friends. Her plan had failed, and the only thing she accomplished was showing that she didn't have the virtues a good wife should have. Not only that, she had practically slapped He Changqi in the face in front of his good friends.

Lord Ge quickly helped He Changqi back up. "Brother He, please don't blame yourself. Everyone has some form of greed for fortune and fame. Sister-in-Law simply wanted to impress us brothers for your sake. There's no reason for us to blame her."

Marquis Weiyuan smiled and agreed with Lord Ge's sentiment. "It's rare for us all to have the time to meet. There's a great feast before us, so let's not waste it. Come, come, let's eat and drink!"

Today’s turn of events had completely exposed Madam Zou’s lies. Although He Changqi's friends let it pass so as to help He Changqi keep his dignity, the same couldn't be said for their private thoughts.

However, there was one point of similarity. Madam Zou's image had been utterly destroyed in front of them. Even Heir Zheng and Marquis Weiyuan were starting to pity He Changqi.

Without mentioning how Madam Zou hadn't given He Changqi a male heir yet, just based on what they had seen of her personality today, their opinion of the ladies from Dingyuan Estate had completely changed.

He Changqi had been expecting to impress his friends today. However, after Madam Zou's little play, He Changqi was so ashamed that he couldn't hold his head high amongst his friends.

Luckily, the awkward atmosphere didn't last for long. Upon tasting the dishes on the table, the men completely forgot about Madam Zou and her lies. All that remained in their minds was how delicious the food was! Right here, right now, they couldn't let these delicacies go to waste!

There was usually a lofty, refined air at the friendly meetings between noblemen. They would brew some tea, warm up some wine, and maybe grill some venison with their good friends. If the mood was right, they might even compose a few poems or couplets with brushes in hand and wine cups in the other... Basically, the whole affair would be very elegant and dignified. Wolfing down food and searching for seconds in the pot was something that only unrefined barbarians would do; it was something that these noble and high-born gentlemen would absolutely never, ever do.

However...

Nobility, manners, elegance? Were those edible? Could these silly principles satisfy the hunger in their bellies?

Of course not!

Marquis Weiyuan and Lord Ge were childhood friends and had grown up together. When they had started studying, they had studied together in the Ge Family's private school, reserved only for their own clan members. Their mothers were best friends, so the two kids had practically grown up wearing the same pair of pants. However, at this moment...

Marquis Weiyuan quickly finished off one of the sweet and sour pork ribs before staring at the remaining ribs on the plate. As he watched, Heir Zheng reached out and stole away one more rib, so there was now only one left on the blue porcelain plate. Marquis Weiyuan immediately sent his chopsticks flying towards that last pork rib, but sparks flew as he suddenly met with another pair of silver chopsticks on his way.

Marquis Weiyuan's gaze traced the chopsticks back to their owner, only to see the normally composed Lord Ge with his cheeks bulging.

His eye twitched and he quickly said, "Brother Ge, I touched it first, move your chopsticks away!"

"Brother Li, I'm older than you by a year. When you were younger, I gave in to you all the time. This time, you should let your older brother have a turn!"

"Brother Ge, your mouth is still full!"

......

Marquis Weiyuan and Lord Ge, who were practically twins since birth, had suddenly started arguing over a single sweet and sour pork rib.

He Changqi's awkwardness upon witnessing this scene didn't prevent him from continuously reaching out to grab some poached fish slices at all. It was good that they were arguing anyway. As a result, no one was fighting with him over this plate of fish. Although Third Sister-in-Law had sent over an entire bowl last time, it hadn't been enough! Furthermore, he had a big appetite, so he hadn't eaten his fill yet. This time, perhaps out of consideration for his guests, Chu Lian had prepared a much larger portion. That soft, tender, white meat was paired with the fiery fragrance of the chillis, yet it still melted in the mouth like butter. It was so tasty he even felt like swallowing his tongue along with it!

Right after he placed a thin slice of fish into his mouth, he caught sight of Xiao Bojian, who was sitting across from him, reaching into the large plate with a spoon. After some quick maneuvering with his chopsticks, he lifted his spoon up from the sea of red chillis and revealed it full of tender, white fish slices...

Then, He Changqi watched with wide eyes as Xiao Bojian poured all the fish slices into his small, white porcelain bowl...

Next, Xiao Bojian sent his empty spoon to go fishing again, once again towards the plate of poached fish...

What the heck... What happened to their noblemen's gathering? There were only hungry ghosts sitting at this table!

A meal that should have been filled with conversation, laughter, and drink... ended in just an hour.

Chapter 215: Lies (3)

As He Changqi looked at his friends holding their full bellies leaning back against their seats, burping with satisfaction, the corners of his mouth couldn't help but twitch.

Luckily he had noticed that the situation was turning a little strange, so he had sent all the servants out of the room. Otherwise, if they had let their servants witness that battle just now, their servants would have surely thought that the whole group of gentlemen had been switched out for some imposters- and not just any imposters, but the hungriest of the hungry from the capital’s most starving beggars!

After he looked again at the empty plates and dishes on the table that had practically been licked clean, He Changqi couldn't even be bothered to say anything.

Once the hungry ghosts before him had rested for a while, Heir Zheng slammed his palm on the table unhappily. "Brother He, you're too selfish! We've always invited you to join us for meals and drinks! The food here is so delicious, how could you wait until today to invite us to your estate for a meal?"

Lord Ge shot a sideways glance at He Changqi, whose expression was turning dark. When he thought back to Madam Zou's actions just now, he realised that the situation was a little delicate. He Changqi had also been wolfing down food like he hadn't eaten in days. This was probably his first time eating such amazing cuisine, too.

Lord Ge didn't blame He Changqi like Heir Zheng did. He simply leaned back against his chair without any consideration for his image as he sipped at some old duck soup to satisfy his remaining cravings. Somewhat sourly, he said, "He Sanlang's quite the lucky one. He deserves to go all the way to that terrible northern border! I pitied that brat at first, but now, I've lost all pity for him. If he were right here in front of me now, I'd tell him, 'you deserve it'!"

Now that the sweet and sour pork ribs were all gone, Marquis Weiyuan and Lord Ge were the best of buds again. "Poor He Sanlang the Fair!"

After eating his fill, Xiao Bojian kept a low profile. His eyes were half-shut and his long lashes hid the pools of emotion in his eyes. He pinched his left index finger with his right thumb and index finger. Thanks to the spiciness of the fish from earlier, his thin lips were flushed red. No one could see the dissatisfaction and resentment in his eyes. He remained as still as a statue.

If Heir Zheng wasn't familiar with his personality, he might have asked his senior brother about his mood.

Xiao Bojian's eyes swept over He Changqi, a hidden glint in their depths.

All of this should have been his!

Lian'er personally cooking for him, praising Lian'er's skills in front of his friends, Lian'er helping him to manage the household... Facing each day as a couple, exchanging sweet nothings, supporting each other through the trials of life...

Right after the group had just finished an unforgettable meal, a manservant entered the room with a wine gourd in hand.

The manservant looked at the now-empty dishes on the table with shock. He blinked a few times in disbelief before coming to his senses. He quickly walked over to He Changqi's side and lowered his voice to ask, "Eldest Young Master, do... do you still want to serve this wine?"

The manservant had gone to fetch the ten year old Yudongchun wine which Marquis Weiyuan had specially brought over.

Who could have thought that the food would be completely decimated before the wine had even reached the table?

Heir Zheng looked around the group of gentlemen and said, "Just serve the wine!"

Marquis Weiyuan and Lord Ge nodded. They had already filled their bellies, so the wine wouldn't hurt them. Since they had had such a great meal, they were starting to get an itch for a drink.

He Changqi nodded and ordered the manservant to call in two maidservants to clear out the empty dishes. He then had the main kitchen send out some food to pair with the wine, so that they could all drink their fill.

After tasting those amazing delicacies, no one had an appetite for any of the normal dishes. They even felt a little depressed.

The men had the feeling that their days were going to get rough from now on... As the saying goes, it's easy for the frugal to become extravagant, but it's hard to reverse the process. After having such delectable gourmet food, it was going to be hard to swallow down their usual fare.

With those thoughts in mind, all of them drank more than usual to drown out those depressing thoughts. The ten year Yudongchun was considered one of the strongest spirits in the capital and packed a punch. Furthemore, the men couldn't bring themselves to eat any of the food that the main kitchen had sent over, so they ended up drinking even more than usual.

An hour later, everyone was a drunk, incoherent mess- even He Changqi, who usually had a great tolerance for alcohol, was no exception.

When the manservant saw the state the men were in, he could only order some servants to bring them to their rooms for a good rest.

The seemingly woozy Xiao Bojian was brought to a private room by an average-looking manservant. Once they were alone, his originally misty eyes abruptly awakened. His gaze was sober and calm, completely lacking any sign of his earlier drunkenness.

The average-looking manservant, who was One in disguise, bowed to his master. "Master, you're not drunk?"

Xiao Bojian made a vague sound in reply before rubbing his temples. "Follow me to the inner court of the Jing'an Estate. Leave Nineteen here to guard this place."

Chapter 216: Taken Advantage Of (1)

One's brows drew together and his lips parted in preparation to give voice to an objection. However, when he met with Xiao Bojian's icy gaze, he lowered his head and kept his thoughts to himself.

It was just past 1pm, so most of the servants in the Jing'an Estate's inner court had already gone to rest or slack about elsewhere. On their way to the inner court, they didn't bump into anyone at all.

After walking for a while, Xiao Bojian pulled out a crude map from his sleeve. He looked down at it and checked his bearings before moving directly towards Songtao Court.

One followed close behind Xiao Bojian as he kept an eye on their surroundings.

Chu Lian had finally managed to sneak in a half-day break at the waterside pavilion. She was lying there now, having a nice afternoon nap. As a light breeze passed by, it carried along with it the mild fragrance of the chrysanthemum blossoms.

When Xiyan saw that her master had fallen asleep, she gently placed a thin woven blanket over Chu Lian before carefully retreating to the zither room nearby. She sat herself at a table and worked on some embroidery as she guarded Chu Lian. 

Xiao Bojian entered Songtao Court through a small path in the garden. He took his time walking, holding up the corner of his robe so he wouldn’t trip on it.

It was already autumn, so most of the flowers in the courtyard were withering, painting a yellow and bleak scene. Xiao Bojian's gaze swept over the arrangements of the courtyard as if to memorise them. In his mind, he was already thinking of building an even larger and even more exquisite estate for Chu Lian to live in, once she finally became his.

As wild thoughts ran through his head, a flash of colour in the corner of his vision caught his attention. His leisurely expression disappeared as his pupils contracted. Xiao Bojian could not help but turn his head and focus entirely on that small splash of colour.

Not too far away was a pavilion sitting by the waterside. There, a girl wearing a simple light green dress laid sleeping on a wooden lounge chair. One arm was nested underneath her head, while the other was in the midst of slipping off the armrest. Her wide sleeves had slid down to her elbows, revealing her forearms. The paleness of her tender skin shone stark against the armrest’s dark wood, and her slender little fingers were slightly curled in her relaxed state- just enough to reveal her unpainted fingernails, whose natural state only added to her cute, innocent charm.

Xiao Bojian stood still, frozen to the spot, as his gaze roamed greedily over the girl’s slim body.

One looked at his master's expression and pressed his lips together. Despite his desire to speak, he suppressed his inner thoughts once again.

Underneath his wide sleeves, Xiao Bojian clenched his fists. He didn’t pause for long, and soon lowered his voice to order, "One, take care of that handmaid over there." 

When he followed Xiao Bojian's line of sight, One noticed a handmaid working on some embroidery in the open zither room nearby. He cupped his fists in acknowledgement before leaping into the air and disappearing from sight.

In just a few minutes, Xiyan's body collapsed as she fainted. One then moved Xiyan to lie against one of the wooden supports in the zither room.

When Xiao Bojian saw that One had finished his task, he changed course towards the pavilion.

Despite his calm outer appearance, his heart was beating like a drum.

With every step he took that brought him closer to Chu Lian, his heart seemed to quicken a beat. When he finally entered the pavilion, he stopped by her sandalwood chair and looked upon the girl he had been thinking of day and night. His heart skipped a beat, and then resumed pulsing even faster, almost leaping out of his chest.

He tilted his head downwards and took in the entirety of Chu Lian's appearance.

She was sound asleep, her hair scattered over the back of the lounge chair. Some loose strands were dancing in time with the passing autumn breeze, inadvertently plucking at the strings of his heart.

Chapter 217: Taken Advantage Of (2)

The girl's eyes were closed, her thick eyelashes like two small fans against her skin. There was a slight flush on her cheeks, emphasizing her tiny nose and her fair complexion. Her pink lips were parted slightly in her sleep.

Chu Lian wasn't an unmatched beauty by any means, but she looked lovely and innocent when she was deep asleep like this, like a little creature that needed protection.

As Xiao Bojian greedily devoured the enchanting scene with his eyes, he slowly bent down and reached out with his elegant fingers to touch the beauty before him.

Right before his fingers were about to touch Chu Lian's soft cheeks, he curled his fingers back and retreated. In the end, he had to muster up all the reason he had to restrain from touching her face. However, he didn't pull his hand back entirely; his fingers twitched before he reached forward again and traced the curve of Chu Lian's profile.

His finger glided over her lovely raised nose and passed over her parted petal-like lips, sliding along the distinguished line of her chin before finally reaching her collarbones.

His eyes followed the lines of her collarbones and went even further down, seemingly out of his control.

The collar of her dress was made up of two lotus flowers, and there was a light yellow piece of fabric peeking out from in between. The fabric below her collar was held up by the curves of her figure underneath... And even further down was her light green skirt. A cute little pair of shoes were exposed from beneath it.

Xiao Bojian's eyes turned a little bloodshot as his breathing grew heavier.

He forced himself to pull his hand back and shifted his eyes back to Chu Lian's pretty little face instead.

Chu Lian had been in the middle of a very comfortable nap. However, she suddenly felt a slight chill at her side, as if there was some sort of danger lurking. Her brows unconsciously drew together, and her mouth moved in her sleep. The tip of her tongue reached out a little from her mouth and glided along her pink lips.

The originally innocent-looking girl had suddenly turned a little more seductive and charming thanks to this unconscious action.

Chu Lian shifted in her sleep and pulled out the arm that had been under her head, turning to one side instead and gathering her arms together.

Xiao Bojian had frozen once more when he noticed Chu Lian shift in her sleep. When he realised that she hadn't woken up, he relaxed and let out a small sigh of relief. However, as he watched her change poses, the primal urges that he had been barely suppressing surged up again, until they were about to overwhelm his rational sense any moment now.

Due to her movement, Chu Lian's collar had parted, and the light yellow fabric underneath was now even more visible. Furthermore, her new sideways pose meant that more of the fair white skin underneath her collar was now exposed.

Xiao Bojian's mind had been blown apart by this scene. His restraint and reason vanished in the span of a second and he suddenly bent down, hands grabbing onto the armrests of the sandalwood chair.

To hell with patience and self-control! Lian'er should have been his! If not for that Empress Dowager's decree, how could he have lost Lian'er to House Jing'an? How could she have become He Changdi's wife?

He Changdi was at the northern border now, so who knew if he would even be able to return? Once he gathered enough power, he was going to erase He Changdi from the face of the Earth, without even a grave to mark his existence!

While these hateful and painful thoughts passed through his mind, Xiao Bojian was already face to face with Chu Lian.

Up close, Chu Lian's skin looked even more tender and soft, like the skin of a fresh peach.

The warmth of her breath tickled his face. With eyes as deep as the ocean, he took in every little expression of hers with greedy eyes. Finally, he lowered his head and met the moist, pink lips before him with his own.

Chapter 218: A Close Shave (1)

The soft feeling of his lips on hers was like the headiest wine, leaving him drunk with emotion. He parted his lips a little more and even brought his tongue out to play. With his restraint long lost, he slid a hand further downwards...

While trapped in deep sleep, Chu Lian suddenly felt a chill all over her body. When she felt something cold touch her lips, she abruptly opened her eyes and was immediately met with that graceful, handsome face up close. Rage burst forth like a volcano in her mind, manifesting outwardly as a furious glare. Her first reaction was to bite down hard while her hands pushed with all her might at the person holding her down.

Xiao Bojian was still immersed in his emotions and was caught off-guard when Chu Lian pushed him away; he couldn't catch his balance and retreated a few steps.

It was only after that that he felt the pain on his lips.

His gaze darkened and he reached out to wipe his lower lip before bringing his fingers up to his eyes.

His head was bent down as he looked at the streak of bright red blood on his hand. He then raised his head to stare at Chu Lian.

"Lian'er, it's me!"

It was him, it wasn't some stranger! How could Lian'er treat him like that?

Chu Lian was nauseous with disgust. She had already climbed off the lounge chair in her panic and retreated as far back as she could, all the way to the other side of the pavilion. Her brows were drawn tightly together as she glared at Xiao Bojian.

She hadn't expected Xiao Bojian to be so shameless! How could he have taken advantage of her while she was asleep!

Calling him a beast would be an insult to all animals! She was already married! How could he do something so immoral!

In comparison, although her husband He Sanlang was a little crazy, he was still a proper gentleman.

And how had he come to the inner court of the Jing'an Estate in the first place?

In just a short moment, Chu Lian's mind was already filled with hundreds of thoughts and doubts.

She realised that the main events in the original story hadn't changed their course despite her interference. However, many of the smaller details and events were already different.

It seemed that she wouldn't be able to depend on the events she had read in the book to avoid disasters in the future.

She had to make more thorough backup plans and preparations.

Chu Lian furrowed her brows, eyes full of caution. "Mister Xiao, why are you here?"

If Chu Lian hadn't just checked the surroundings and realized that there was no one else around, she would have started shouting a long time ago. She didn't want to stay around this dangerous man a second longer.

When Xiao Bojian noticed the caution in Chu Lian's eyes, a pang of pain pierced his heart. He quickly tried to explain, "Lian'er, we haven't met in so long. I just wanted to see you."

Only ghosts would believe that!

If you just wanted to see me, then why did you have to attack me? Chu Lian didn't believe in Xiao Bojian's excuse one bit.

Chu Lian pressed her lips together. She had caught sight of the unconscious Xiyan, who had somehow fainted against a pillar, in the zither room not too far away. When she connected it back to how Wenlan had fainted back in Defeng Teahouse, she became even more vigilant.

This was the inner court of the Jing'an Estate. Although it was already after 1pm and there weren't many servants about, if anyone happened across this situation, she would never be able to clear her name, no matter what she did.

Although the Great Wu Dynasty was more open-minded, women would always be on the losing end of things. Furthermore, she was a newlywed wife whose husband wasn't at home. It would be hard for anyone not to suspect her of consorting with another man.

"Since you've already seen me, it's about time for you to leave, Mister Xiao!" Chu Lian tried her best to use a level tone to speak.

Although Xiao Bojian wasn't very strong himself, he had a skilled bodyguard. This was something that the original novel had mentioned. Thus, despite how frustrated Chu Lian was, she did her best to control her rage. She was afraid that Xiao Bojian would lose his rationality and call out his bodyguard to attack her if she provoked and angered him.

Her few paltry self-defense skills were nothing in front of a skilled martial artist like that.

Xiao Bojian's long and narrow gaze was focused solely on the frightened girl before him. His arms were placed behind his back, hiding the fists that were clenched from exerting every bit of his self-control.

"Lian'er, didn't you miss me at all? I know I was in the wrong for leaving you behind that day... I'm a bastard! I've been drowning in my guilt ever since. Lian'er, you have to believe me. Can you believe me just this once? If something like that happens again, I won't ever abandon you again, even if my life is in danger. I'll keep you by my side and always protect you. You'll never suffer a single bit of hurt ever again."

Xiao Bojian's voice was brimming with emotion as he spoke. Coupled together with that beautiful metrosexual face of his, it was enough to convince any naive, sheltered young lady in seconds.

If she were the original 'Chu Lian', perhaps she would have been touched enough to run into his embrace. However, what a pity for him! Chu Lian was no longer the original 'Chu Lian'.

She wasn't the slightest bit touched. His speech actually had the opposite effect on her: she was disgusted beyond belief.

Chu Lian didn't even try to discern if Xiao Bojian had any bit of sincerity in his words. She only thought it laughable. She finally realised why she didn't have any feelings for Xiao Bojian, even though she had taken over the body of the female lead, his supposed lover.

This man was full of ambition and had the silver tongue to match. Before actual danger approached, he could promise anything he wanted. However, if he were really sincere about protecting her, he should have shown it with his actions before making the promise!

Since he had already 'abandoned' her once, he shouldn't have come back so shamelessly, much less try to make up for it.

Chapter 219: A Close Shave (2)

Chu Lian thought once again that He Changdi was much better than Xiao Bojian. At least that man would show his sincerity through his actions, rather than just using meaningless words.

She sneered inwardly. Did Xiao Bojian really think that those empty promises would melt her heart?

That only showed how much he didn't understand her.

"Mister Xiao, don't you know that you're causing trouble for me like this? Right now, I don't have any ties with you at all." Chu Lian lowered her head as she spoke, hiding the annoyance and disgust in her eyes from Xiao Bojian.

Xiao Bojian stiffened and looked around anxiously.

This place was foreign to him; it was the Jing'an Estate, and the woman before him had the title of House Jing'an's Third Young Madam.

When his thoughts led him to this realisation, it was as if he had lost his soul. He felt as if thorns were piercing him right through the heart.

That's right! How could he have forgotten that fact? Such a wonderful and perfect Lian'er... didn't belong to him right now!

The depths of his eyes instantly chilled over, but the guilt in his heart only increased.

He took a deep breath and managed to calm down a little. He raised his gaze and stared at Chu Lian. "Lian'er, I didn't think things through carefully enough. But don't worry, I'll get you out of this and give you a proper title as my wife! You... have to wait for me! It won't take too long."

Chu Lian was inwardly shocked by his admission, but she didn't dare to display it on her face. She looked downwards without speaking, as if she was pretending to be angry at him.

It was clear from Xiao Bojian's expression that he couldn't bear to part with her. However, he pressed his lips together and finally said, "Lian'er, don't be angry with me. I'm leaving now; rest assured, we won't be discovered."

After saying so, he strode right out of the pavilion. After stepping out, Xiao Bojian paused before adding on, "Lian'er, the meal you cooked today was delicious!"

In the future, would you cook for just me alone? Unfortunately, he didn't have the right to say that now.

Perhaps Xiao Bojian was really feeling shame and remorse; he didn't even turn back to look at her again after leaving.

It wasn't until Xiao Bojian's figure had completely disappeared from sight that Chu Lian dared to raise her head. Her remaining strength left her body and she collapsed on the spot.

That was way too dangerous. If she hadn't discovered Xiao Bojian's guilt towards her in time, their meeting wouldn't have ended well for her.

If that Xiao Bojian could act so fearlessly even in the Jing'an Estate, it looked like just avoiding him wasn't going to work next time. She had to prepare some precautionary measures somehow.

Sob sob. She really didn't like him at all! If she could pay a thousand taels to stop Xiao Bojian from liking her, she would have gritted her teeth and paid out the full amount! Why was she so unlucky?!

Chu Lian wiped her lips fiercely with a handkerchief until they were red and sore. Then, she threw the offending handkerchief to the ground in a temper.

Xiao Bojian's thin lips looked so soft, pink, and weak... They were pretty much better-looking than hers. Wasn't his kiss basically the same as getting kissed by a woman??

Chu Lian flipped a table in her mind!

She wasn't the type of person who dwelled on things. For the whole incident today, she just treated it as getting bitten by a passing stray dog. Thus, she managed to calm herself down and walked over to Xiyan to wake her up.

When she took a look at the back of Xiyan's neck, there was a bruise, just like the previous time with Wenlan.

After Xiyan woke up, she was completely panic-stricken. "Third Young Madam, are you well?"

Chu Lian shook her head and helped her up from the floor. "I'm fine."

Xiyan looked Chu Lian up and down. When she saw that her master really seemed okay, she heaved a sigh of relief.

Her voice trembled as she asked, "Was it Mister Xiao?"

Chu Lian knew that she couldn't hide this matter from Xiyan, so she nodded.

Xiyan's cheeks immediately puffed up, shaking with anger as she said, "He.... How dare he! This is the Jing'an Estate!"

Chu Lian was also helpless. Xiao Bojian was indeed very bold. If she hadn't made use of his guilt towards her today, he probably wouldn't have left so quickly.

When Xiyan noticed Chu Lian's silence, she quickly tried to reassure her. "Third Young Madam, please don't worry too much. As long as we don't associate with him, he can't do anything to Third Young Madam."

Chu Lian couldn't be bothered to say any more on the matter. She had already lost the interest to nap by this time. She simply ordered listlessly, "Let's return to our courtyard."

Xiyan answered her and quickly followed behind Third Young Madam. However, she had already decided in her heart to send Wenqing and Wenlan with her master, no matter where she went.

While full of suppressed emotion, Xiao Bojian quickly strode along. Since Xiao Bojian had left that pavilion, One had already come out of the shadows to follow behind his master. He kept a watchful eye on their surroundings as they left the inner court of the Jing'an Estate. Along the way, he even knocked out two servants who had been passing through the gardens.

No matter how skilled he was in martial arts, he couldn't make any careless mistakes while protecting his master.

Just as Xiao Bojian was passing through the door connecting the outer and inner courts, he was caught by someone's gaze.

Madam Zou couldn't stop worrying when she wasn't serving by her husband's side. When she heard that her husband's friends had been sent to rest after getting drunk, she had gone to the outer court to check on the situation. However, on her way back to the inner court, she suddenly spotted a familiar figure.

Xiao Bojian's appearance was rather outstanding and would attract a second look from anyone, regardless of gender. No matter how much he tried to keep a low profile with his dressing and personality, he couldn't hide his extraordinary looks.

Chapter 220: Who Else to Target? (1)

Today, Xiao Bojian was dressed in a dark green round-collared robe with a matching green belt tied around his waist. Other than a simple square piece of jade, he hadn't hung anything on his belt, let alone a small pouch for some accessories. Although he was dressed in such mild colours that it could double as camouflage, his broad shoulders and narrow waist carried the robe well and made him stand out instead. Beneath his round collar, there was an inner piece of fabric that extended beyond the collar and wrapped around his throat, giving him an air of restraint.

He Changqi's close friends were rather good-looking, and they all came from distinguished family backgrounds. Thus, their temperaments and dress stood out above most. However, when placed beside Xiao Bojian, they paled in comparison and became foils to his handsomeness instead.

Thus, Xiao Bojian had given Madam Zou a very deep impression from just that short period she had seen him at the small gathering today. The moment she caught sight of his back, she could tell who it was.

Although Xiao Bojian wasn't really well-known amongst the social circles of the nobility in the capital, he did have some fame in the Imperial College. Even Madam Zou had heard of Xiao Bojian once or twice before.

Her gaze was stuck on Xiao Bojian's back until he vanished through that connecting door. Next, she traced the small path he had taken with her eyes and she realised what laid in that direction.

At the end of the small path that Xiao Bojian had just taken... was Songtao Court!

Suddenly, all sorts of thoughts flared up in Madam Zou's head. She clenched her fists in glee.

By the time Heir Zheng and the rest had woken up from their drunken stupors, they attempted to stay in the Jing'an Estate for dinner. When he thought back to those new delicacies he had eaten at lunch, Heir Zheng even wanted to badger He Changqi to let him stay over at the Jing'an Estate for some time!

Sob sob sob. That damned He Sanlang was way too lucky. Why did the heavens bestow him with such a virtuous wife who could cook so well? He couldn’t go on like this! When he got home, the first thing he was going to do was get Grandmother to send someone to House Ying to check if they had any other single ladies to wed!

He Changqi didn't know how to react. These friends of his! Normally, he'd have to invite them a few times before they would come over. However, now they were trying to drag out their stay and were even refusing to leave. Did they have to be so shameless?

He Changqi was a little troubled. If these dishes had been made by his own wife, then he would have just treated them to one meal. However, it was Third Sister-in-Law who had cooked. He wasn't so shameless as to trouble her again.

"Isn't that enough for today? Did you forget your manners? My sister-in-law isn't a cook at your beck and call!"

Marquis Weiyuan complained with a cry of, "Brother He's being petty!" However, they were all gentlemen, so they understood the rationale behind He Changqi's statement. As much as they really wanted to have another meal, they could only stop their badgering.

Each of their sighs were full of laments. They suspected that they wouldn't be able to eat anything else when they returned home to their estates and the paltry-in-comparison food there.

He Changqi was rather helpless upon seeing the situation like this. He suddenly recalled something that his grandmother had mentioned offhand to him while chatting the other day. He then called out to the men who were on their way out and said, "If you really want to eat Third Sister-in-Law's cooking again, you can wait until Guilin Restaurant reopens. Grandmother gave her Guilin Restaurant over to Third Sister-in-Law to manage, so it shouldn't be too long before she reopens it."

"Really? Honoured Lady Jinyi is going to run a restaurant?"

The three of them were overjoyed. Since Chu Lian was going to open a restaurant, it was definitely going to have some delicious specialties. Thus, if they were struck by a craving in the future, they wouldn't need to throw away their dignity to beg He Changqi for a meal.

"I'll definitely let all of you know when Third Sister-in-Law's restaurant reopens."

With this news in mind, the group returned home in high spirits.

The next day, Chu Lian brought Wenqing and Wenlan along with her to Guilin Restaurant again. She passed on some instructions regarding the restaurant's renovations before rushing home.

The renovations were almost done. She had chosen a chef from one of the servants who had followed her from House Ying when she had gotten married. The novel had mentioned this person before. He was a loyal servant, and the original 'Chu Lian' had frequently used him to send letters out to Xiao Bojian.

Mao Zhangzhi's parents were still alive and well, and they were all servants under Chu Lian's name. He was eighteen this year. His father used to be a third-rank cook in House Ying, so he had learned some culinary skills from his father at a young age. He did have some talent in cooking.

Chu Lian had never kept her handmaids or her senior servants away while she was cooking. Xiyan was meticulous and had learned how to cook quite a few dishes from her, so Chu Lian sent her to teach Mao Zhangzhi how to make the new specialties of Guilin Restaurant. From Xiyan's report, Mao Zhangzhi had already managed to learn most of them. He was even better at cooking some of the dishes compared to his temporary teacher, Xiyan.

Last night, she had specially ordered Mao Zhangzhi to cook dinner for Songtao Court. After tasting his handiwork, Chu Lian was pleased.

The bookkeeping was still left to Guilin Restaurant's original Bookkeeper Wang.

As for the manager, she let Manager Qin, the manager she had temporarily borrowed from Matriarch He, take up the post.

In the past few days, the thirty-something Manager Qin had been very diligent and conscientious in his work for her. What was even rarer was that he wasn't stuck in the old ways and was open to new ideas. He was also quite smooth when it came to talking business. He was the third son of Matriarch He's main steward. Initially, the matriarch had been thinking of training him to become a main steward, but in the end, she sent Manager Qin over to Chu Lian due to her love for her. Thus, his abilities were definitely top-notch.

After some discussion, Chu Lian and Matriarch He decided that the first of September was a good day. Thus, the reopening of Guilin Restaurant was set to be on that date.

Chu Lian had already prepared gold-embossed invitations to be sent out. All she had to do next was to decide who to invite.

Chapter 221: Who Else to Target? (2)

Both Matriarch He and the servants in Chu Lian's courtyard were looking forward to Guilin Restaurant's reopening.

Guilin Restaurant held a special place in Matriarch He's heart. As for the third branch, the restaurant was going to be a very important source of income for them.

He Sanlang had ventured out to the northern border by himself. Who knew when he would be able to return to this courtyard? Third Young Madam was all alone in the estate, and her dowry was rather pitiful. She also wasn't in line to manage the estate. The expenses of their branch were paid from the estate's shared accounts, but they still had to have some personal funds to use freely. Otherwise, they would definitely be looked down upon by others.

Back in the Ying Estate, she was just a young miss, so it was fine if she didn't have much money of her own. However, Chu Lian was now the lady-in-charge of the third branch, so she had to have some funds squared away.

Furthermore, Third Young Madam wasn't miserly. If she got rich one day, she would naturally award her servants richly as well.

Thus, from Senior Servants Gui and Zhong to the menial servants sweeping the floors in the courtyard, all of them were hoping that Third Young Madam's Guilin Restaurant would do well and prosper.

In the end, Chu Lian turned out to be the most relaxed person in the estate. She just ate, drank and slept all day, enjoying what little pleasures she could. Guilin Restaurant's reopening seemed to be an event as ordinary as her daily calligraphy practice, at least to her. As the date of the reopening drew closer, even Xiyan started to get anxious. However, her master was just lying on a lounge chair and eating some candied fruits while flipping through a recently published comedy book.

Looking at her master's overly relaxed appearance, Xiyan didn't know whether to complain or settle down along with her.

Xiyan walked over to Chu Lian with a few different types of fabric in hand. "Third Young Madam, which colour should we use for the drapes in the private rooms?"

When Chu Lian heard Xiyan's words, she didn't even look up. She was in the middle of an exciting part in her book. "You can decide that yourself; you don't have to come to me for these small matters."

If she had to be consulted for details as small as the colours of the drapes, wouldn't she be overwhelmed with work in the future when she had more stores in hand? She was reopening Guilin Restaurant so that she could earn more money and enjoy life, not to create more troubles and work for herself.

Her final goal was to become a carefree and relaxed layabout!

Xiyan felt a little helpless, but she knew that Third Young Madam's words were the law. Thus, she quietly picked out a colour that she liked.

However, she didn't leave after that and continued to ask, "Third Young Madam, should we train two more loyal cooks?"

Chu Lian finally looked up from her book and turned to Xiyan. "Why do you say that?"

Seeing that Third Young Madam was finally paying attention to her, Xiyan got a little excited. "Third Young Madam, have you seen those large restaurants in the capital? They're always so full to the point that there aren't any empty seats. The restaurants with some unique specialties usually have a long queue outside. How will Cook Mao be able to manage everything alone? Won't he be overworked?"

After hearing Xiyan's words, Chu Lian smiled and put down her book. She then took up a teacup from the table next to her and sipped some honey water.

"Xiyan, you're overthinking things. I'm planning to have only about twenty tables of guests each day."

Xiyan's eyes widened in shock and she said in disbelief, "Third Young Madam, didn't you say that you were going to make Guilin Restaurant famed throughout the capital and defeat that Yuehong Restaurant on Zhuque Avenue?"

With just around twenty tables of guests a day, how were they going to win Yuehong Restaurant? Just the amount of income daily was definitely not going to be enough to support the restaurant's expenses.

After seeing Xiyan's astonishment, Chu Lian couldn't resist the urge to chuckle. She looked just like a cute little white fox whose tricks had finally succeeded.

"Silly girl. I'll give you an example. If there was a set of armour that could protect your whole body and there was only one like it in the whole entire world, then people would call it a one-of-a-kind treasure. All the warriors in the world would definitely pit their lives in order to win it. Now, if there were ten sets of this armour, then it would be considered a rarity instead. But if there were suddenly ten thousand sets of it, that would be enough to outfit every single member of the city guards. Then this armour would no longer be a treasure, and it would simply be some common rubbish."

Xiyan wasn't slow. After getting Chu Lian's guidance, it was as if she had woken up from a dream.

Actually, this was very simple common sense. Everyone knew that the value of things was directly proportional to their rarity. Otherwise, why would Hetian jade be something that even money couldn't buy? The easier it was to get something, the less people would treasure it.

This applied to Third Young Madam's secret recipes as well.

As long as the restaurant built up a good reputation and kept its services rare, it would definitely attract the nobility of the capital, to the point that they might even fight over it.

By then, even if they set the cost to reserve a single table as a hundred taels, there would still be buyers lining up with cash in hand.

The difference between earning a hundred taels from a hundred tables versus earning a hundred taels from a single table was like heaven and earth.

Chu Lian's eyes sparkled as she looked at Xiyan. "Do you understand now?"

Xiyan's expression turned joyous. She stared at her master with a look filled with admiration, looking like a loyal little puppy.

Chu Lian smiled.

This was what she had planned from the moment she had decided to reopen Guilin Restaurant. Who had the most money to spend in the Great Wu Dynasty? It was the nobility of course! She was a madam of House Jing'an and now also held the title of Honoured Lady Jinyi. This gave her a clear advantage- she didn't need to fear some nobles trying to use their status to take advantage of her business. Furthermore, she would feel more at peace with herself if she targeted the nobles. The purses of the distinguished houses were all stuffed full of money. Who else would she target if not them?

If she had to go against her conscience and target the commoners who earned their money with their own blood, sweat, and tears, she definitely wouldn't be able to do it!

After another day passed, Chu Lian made her preparations early in the morning and went over to Qingxi Hall. Today, she was to accompany Matriarch He to make a visit to the Zheng Estate.

They had just gotten ready and were about to head over to the outer court to board the carriage when a steward came over to report that House Zheng had sent someone over.

Matriarch He quickly ordered the servants to guide the messenger from House Zheng into Qingxi Hall.

It was the main steward of the Zheng Estate who had come. The moment he entered, he dropped to his knees and knelt before Matriarch He.

"Matriarch He, please allow Honoured Lady Jinyi to save our Old Duke Zheng!"

Chapter 222: Old Gourmet (1)

Chu Lian stared with eyes wide open in shock. Had this steward gotten her mixed up with someone else? Please, she wasn't a doctor and she didn't know how to treat people. She didn't have any miraculous cure-all, either. How was she supposed to save Old Duke Zheng?

Matriarch He was also confused. However, the steward kneeling at her feet didn't seem to be lying. The anxiety and grief in his expression wasn't something that could be faked so easily.

"What's going on? Sanlang's wife doesn't know medicine. How can she save Old Duke Zheng?"

Upon hearing Matriarch He's questions, House Zheng's steward blushed. However, it was impossible to hide the truth now that he was explicitly asking them for help, so he explained the circumstances in full to both Matriarch He and Chu Lian.

Even after Chu Lian had already boarded House Zheng's carriage, she was still a little dizzy from the sudden turn of events.

What a strange predicament this was. Who could have expected that Old Duke Zheng's illness had been caused by his picky tastes... There weren’t any gourmet dishes that could satisfy him!

No wonder House Zheng had kept this matter sealed up so tightly. The explanation they gave to outsiders was that Old Duke Zheng was getting on in his old age and his health had declined to the point that he was bedridden.

If the social circles of the nobility were to find out that Old Duke Zheng had stopped eating because he was a picky eater, and that his pickiness had caused the decline in his health, wouldn't they laugh until their faces cramped up? House Zheng would become the laughingstock of the capital if that were to happen.

The corners of Chu Lian's mouth twitched. This Old Duke Zheng had really contracted a very strange illness...

Chu Lian finally understood why Old Duchess Zheng had been so anxious to invite her to their estate.

Luckily, Chu Lian wasn't a cold-hearted person. Since they had come to her for help, she was happy to oblige. As the saying goes, there is more merit in saving a person's life than in building a seven-story pagoda. Furthermore, the person in need here was Old Duke Zheng, who had a good reputation in the capital.

However, she couldn't make an empty promise. She had only told House Zheng's steward that she would try her best.

Even so, that steward had thanked her profusely, as if he had finally found the help they needed.

As she watched Chu Lian's actions, Matriarch He inwardly gave her a nod of approval. Sanlang's wife was kind, but not too soft. She knew her own limits and hadn't tried to show off her skills. Although she was a little lazy normally, when it came to major events, she was good at keeping the situation under control.

On the way to the Zheng Estate, Chu Lian hadn't been idle.

She started by asking the steward what Old Duke Zheng liked to eat, before asking after his physical health. After thinking it over in her mind, she started forming an initial list of dishes to make.

Once the steward got Honoured Lady Jinyi's instructions, he immediately ordered one of the manservants in their party to rush back to the estate and prepare the ingredients.

Matriarch He and Chu Lian finally reached the Zheng Estate after half an hour.

They got off the carriage at the side gate of the estate and were led into the inner court by Old Duchess Zheng herself. They then entered Old Duke Zheng's bedroom.

When Heir Zheng returned to the estate, he noticed a few carriages parked outside the side gate and one of the estate's grooms taking care of the horses.

Xiao Bojian dismounted from his horse and looked carefully at the carriages. Then, baffled by the result of his observations, he said, "Tiancheng, those seem to be House Jing'an's carriages."

Heir Zheng looked more closely at the symbols on the carriage and agreed. The heir only knew that his grandfather's health was failing, but his parents hadn't told him the reason for his grandfather's illness. Thus, Heir Zheng was still in the dark about the situation.

He shot a glance at his manservant. The quick-witted manservant got the message and quickly went over to enquire about the carriages. In a short moment's time, he returned and whispered something into Heir Zheng's ear.

Heir Zheng's expression turned into one of surprise. "Brother Xiao, House Jing'an's Matriarch and Honoured Lady Jinyi have come to visit my estate."

Xiao Bojian was also a little surprised. At the same time, a sweet feeling suffused his heart. See, he and Lian'er were still connected by fate. He had even bumped into her here at the Zheng Estate.

Chapter 223: Old Gourmet (2)

Honoured Lady Jinyi's delicious cooking was still fresh in Heir Zheng's mind. Unfortunately, his grandfather's health had been declining day by day recently, so he wasn't in the mood to think about food. However, since Honoured Lady Jinyi had specially prepared those dishes for them that day, he decided to thank her personally if he happened to meet her in the inner court.

A glint flashed in Xiao Bojian's eyes, but he didn't say anything. He had already come up with a plan.

Although Xiao Bojian was good friends with Heir Zheng, he was still an outsider and a male at that. It wasn't appropriate for him to enter the inner court of the Zheng Estate.

He regularly came to the Zheng Estate as a guest, but he rarely set foot into the inner court. He would usually follow Heir Zheng to his study in the outer court, and today was no exception.

Old Duchess Zheng had already been waiting at the entrance of her courtyard. Once she caught sight of Matriarch He and Chu Lian, she immediately stepped forward to welcome them.

When she was within arm's reach, she grasped Matriarch He's hands with tears in her eyes. "Old Sister, you've finally come!"

Matriarch He patted her hand and began to reassure her. "You don't have to stand on courtesy with us. Let's go in to see Old Duke Zheng first. Do tell Sanlang's wife if there's anything that Old Duke Zheng can't eat."

Old Duchess Zheng wiped away her tears and nodded. Following that, she led Chu Lian and Matriarch He into the bedroom.

Old Duke Zheng was indeed quite ill. He seemed to be sleeping in a lethargic state and was in the midst of dreaming. He was even mumbling something, though what exactly he said was unintelligible. He barely had any strength left, and his voice was so soft that Chu Lian had to move right next to him before she could hear what he was saying.

The moment she could finally make something out, she didn't know how to react. Old Duke Zheng was already one foot in the coffin, but even in his dreams, he was mumbling, "Oranges... Crabs..."

How much of a gourmet was this Old Duke Zheng?

Chu Lian didn't know how to check pulses, let alone anything to do with traditional Chinese medicine. There was still an imperial physician checking on Old Duke Zheng's pulse next to his bed, so Chu Lian asked the physician what foods the old duke had to avoid in his condition. When she finally had a good understanding of what he couldn't eat, she led Xiyan and Mingyan over to the small kitchen that the Zheng Estate had already prepared in advance.

The kitchen was outfitted with plenty of fresh ingredients. Some had even been sent in not too long ago as per Chu Lian's instructions on the way here.

It was the middle of autumn now, and that meant crab season. Crabs would be especially meaty and tasty at the moment. It was also the time when oranges ripened, so no wonder the old gourmet duke would be thinking of the two, even in his sleep.

Since he clearly wanted to eat them, Chu Lian already knew what to do. How about some stuffed orange with crab meat?

Just like how you had to have the right medicine to cure a certain illness, you had to make sure the right dish matched the cravings of the diner.

Stuffed orange with crab meat wasn't hard to make. They just had to pick some good, fresh oranges and a fat crab. The Zheng Estate did have crab stocked in the kitchen, but they didn't have any oranges.

She ordered Xiyan to notify the servant waiting outside to find her some quality oranges. As they were in season, they shouldn't be too hard to find.

The senior servant then brought two maidservants with her and quickly headed off to the outer court to find the steward in charge of buying ingredients.

Chu Lian prepared the crab herself, digging out the meat within the shell and giving instructions to Xiyan by her side. Mingyan was sent off to cook some ginseng porridge.

The crabs were ready in a short moment. By then, the senior servant had already returned with the fresh oranges that Chu Lian needed.

The oranges were brightly coloured and fragrant with a nice, even shape. At one look, you could tell that they were quality oranges. Now they had to cut them open, remove the meat of the fruit, and then pack the remaining rind with stuffing made of crab meat, pork, water chestnuts, ground ginger, and rice wine. Then, after replacing the top they cut off, they had to put the stuffed orange in a steamer basket and steam it.

Chapter 224: Old Gourmet (3)

The servant who had brought the ingredients didn't dare to stay in the kitchen and watch. She lowered her head and led the other maidservants out, retaking her post by the kitchen entrance.

Xiyan washed the oranges before passing them to Chu Lian. In order to make them look more appetising, Chu Lian carefully carved out some simple patterns on the skins of the fruits. After that, she cut them open. On her third orange, right as she began to cut it in two, her knife suddenly met with something hard inside. Chu Lian frowned and pulled the orange apart. Curiously, there was a thin iron capsule within!

Xiyan's eyes widened and her face was filled with shock.

On the other hand, Chu Lian only paused for a moment before calming down. She shot a glance at Xiyan before looking at Mingyan, who was busy cooking porridge at the stove, and indicated that Xiyan had to stay quiet.

Chu Lian quickly pulled out thin iron capsule with her nimble fingers. She found the mechanism that kept it closed and activated it, opening the capsule with a quiet click. Inside was a small roll of paper. 

As for why Chu Lian was so familiar with the capsule's mechanism, she had read it in the original novel before. Xiao Bojian liked to send messages to 'Chu Lian' in this manner. He had used these kinds of iron capsules previously.

Before she even opened the paper roll, Chu Lian noticed a small 'Xiao' written on the outside.

As expected, this was a message from Xiao Bojian!

That Xiao Bojian was still this delusional! He still thought that she liked him and refused to go away. Rage surfaced in Chu Lian's heart.

She immediately lost all interest in the note's contents. In front of Xiyan, she threw the unopened note and capsule into the fire of the stove. Sparks flew from the roaring fire, turning the note into ashes.

When Xiyan saw Chu Lian's actions with her own eyes, a sense of relief came over her heart. She knew that her master didn't have any feelings for Mister Xiao at all. Her master's decision was right.

She was House Jing'an's Third Young Madam now. Even though she wasn't the lady-in-charge of the main branch, she was still the mistress of the third branch. She also held the title of Honoured Lady Jinyi. Even if she didn't want to fight for more status and power, she still had to uphold her responsibility and reputation.

Furthermore, other than leaving for the northern border, Young Master hadn't let down Third Young Madam in any other way. Even without including Third Young Master's handsome looks, just based on the He Family's rules, it was a house worthy of Third Young Madam's efforts to protect it. For a noble lady who married into a distinguished house, it was quite rare that they didn't have to face an inner court full of their husband's concubines.

Just based on that alone, it was worth the effort for Third Young Madam to keep her reputation clean.

Furthermore, He Sanlang had a good family background and was so much better than Mister Xiao.

It was all that Mister Xiao's fault! Their young miss had already married someone else. Why was he still latching on to her like a leech and refusing to let go?

Xiyan vented her hatred on Xiao Bojian only in the privacy of her own mind. The originally kind and gentle handmaid was now giving Xiao Bojian's ancestors a one-sided interrogation about the wretch their family had given birth to.

Chu Lian glanced at Xiyan and said, "You saw nothing."

Xiyan nodded in acknowledgement.

After that, Chu Lian continued preparing the oranges as if nothing had happened.

Two hours later, the warm, nourishing ginseng porridge and the fragrant stuffed orange with crab meat were both done. Chu Lian then specially cooked up two side dishes with her own hands.

Old Duke Zheng had been bedridden for a long time and had stopped eating for quite a few days. He couldn't eat anything hard. Thus, she had picked out some foods with softer textures for him.

Chu Lian cleaned up a little before having her maidservants pack the food in some food containers. They then rushed back to Old Duke Zheng's bedroom.

Back in the Zheng Estate's outer court, Xiao Bojian was left alone in the study. Heir Zheng had already rushed off to the inner court.

There was a vast collection of books in the Zheng Estate's study, so Xiao Bojian came over regularly to borrow books. At this moment, the secret guard One was whispering into Xiao Bojian's ear while disguised as a manservant.

Xiao Bojian frowned. His voice carried a trace of anger as he said, "What? She threw the note into the fire without looking at it?"

One, still standing respectfully to the side, nodded.

Rage built like a wave in Xiao Bojian's chest. He leaned against the boxwood chair, squeezing his eyes shut. It took a long moment for him to regain his calm.

Lian'er! How could you be so silly? Why don't you trust me? Do you know what I wrote in that note?!

Bitterness and helplessness were mixed in Xiao Bojian's thoughts. He really wanted to grab that annoying woman and bully her a little to vent his frustrations.

Chapter 225: Keeping Her Behind (1)

This time, Xiao Bojian had actually sent a proper message for once. What he had written on that note actually wasn't flowery professions of love this time, but since he had 'cried wolf' so many times, it wasn’t surprising that Chu Lian didn't even want to look at it.

The contents of that note were related to Chu Lian's father.

Through sheer luck, the normally idle Second Master of House Ying, Chu Qizheng, had somehow gotten a proper fifth-ranked position that in reality was just a cushy job. Not only that, but he seemed to have gotten connected to the Pan Estate somehow.

There was definitely something up considering how abnormal this situation was. Xiao Bojian had just wanted to inform Chu Lian of this news and ask if she had any idea what was going on. Unfortunately, that little paper note had already gone up in flames.

When Xiao Bojian noticed that he’d been clenching his fists this entire time, he realised that he was starting to lose his patience.

The Autumn Examinations!

This year, no one was going to stop him. He had put up with so much these past ten years, all for the sake of finally showing off his brilliance in court. He was definitely going to become the person who stood on that peak!

Chu Lian led her maidservants into Old Duke Zheng's bedroom. At this time, Old Duchess Zheng and Matriarch He were both waiting for her in the outer room.

When she heard someone report that Chu Lian had come back with the food, Old Duchess Zheng couldn't sit still any longer and quickly stood up.

Matriarch He gently reassured her, "Don't worry, this old woman has faith in the cooking skills of Sanlang's wife."

Chu Lian was actually more anxious than the two elderly women. She even had a little doubt in her heart. Was Old Duke Zheng really going to be cured by just eating a tasty meal?

She was led to Old Duke Zheng's bedside. Some maidservants had already set up a small table next to the bed. Chu Lian took the box of food from Xiyan's hands and personally arranged the dishes one by one on the small table.

Chu Lian glanced at the unconscious Old Duke Zheng and frowned. Her shiny black eyes darted about, and then after a moment of thought, she began to speak in a soft, gentle voice.

"A superior man possesses extraordinary comprehension and intellect. His excellence within is displayed through his posture and actions without. To seek enlightenment from crabs, today we have offered up some oranges with crab inside.

“The cool of mid-autumn is when the taste of crabs and oranges are at their best. No wonder Old Duke Zheng has them in his thoughts. However, as a gourmand, Old Duke Zheng surely must have eaten many fresh crabs and quality oranges before. However, have you ever tried eating crabs and oranges together?

“This junior has a secret recipe here called stuffed orange with crab meat. With this method of cooking, you could say that the fragrance of oranges and the freshness of the crab have both been expressed to their fullest. Fresh and fragrant, paired with five other types of seasonings. For those who are unable to taste this dish at least once, it’ll be their life’s biggest regret..."

While Chu Lian was describing the dish, she opened up one of the stuffed oranges. The originally sealed aroma instantly drifted through the air and diffused across the room. The whole room was now brimming with a smell that was as fresh and fragrant as Chu Lian had described.

Furthermore, her speech was so tempting that even Old Duchess Zheng and Matriarch He, as well as the imperial physician waiting off to the side, had all secretly took a whiff and immediately had to gulp down their saliva. Of course, this also had an effect on the bedridden old duke.

Old Duke Zheng had still been in the midst of unconsciousness. Suddenly, his eyelids twitched and he opened up his wrinkled old eyes.

Although his pupils seemed a little misty at first, they quickly sharpened. He wrinkled his nose, as if detecting the smell of good food in the air.

When he finally distinguished what that aroma was made of, his old eyes shone with a new light. Old Duke Zheng struggled to sit up, shouting with a hoarse voice, "Quick, quickly! Help me up!"

Chapter 226: Keeping Her Behind (2)

When Old Duchess Zheng saw that her husband had finally woken up, she couldn’t restrain herself any longer and began to cry. Tears slid down her cheeks as she exclaimed, "My Duke, you've finally recovered your appetite!" And without waiting for the servants to move, she rushed over to the old duke's side and personally helped him sit up against the headboard.

Chu Lian was clever enough to quickly recover from her instance of surprise. She moved over the table in front of Old Duke Zheng to make room.

Old Duke Zheng had been bedridden for quite a period of time. The struggle just now seemed to have used up all his remaining strength. He couldn't even lift his hand up, and could only stare right at that plate of stuffed orange with crab meat.

Old Duchess Zheng quickly took up one of the oranges and personally fed it to him.

Once the soup entered his mouth, Old Duke Zheng's eyes shone even brighter. His heart moved, his eyes lit up, his nose flared and his mouth smacked with the sound of his enjoyment.

After swallowing a mouthful of heaven, Old Duke Zheng had completely tossed his idea of fasting to the back of his head. If not for Old Duchess Zheng holding him back and not letting him eat too much at once, he would have probably gulped down an entire stuffed orange in two or three bites.

Since Old Duke Zheng had woken up and had already broken his fast, it wasn't appropriate if strangers continued loitering inside the inner room. Leaving Old Duchess Zheng inside, the younger Duchess Zheng invited the guests, including the imperial physician, to the outer room.

After Duchess Zheng invited Matriarch He to take a seat, she curtseyed to Chu Lian in gratitude. "This was all thanks to Honoured Lady Jinyi's efforts today. Please, accept this bow from me."

Chu Lian quickly helped the younger Duchess Zheng up. "Madam, please don't stand on ceremony with me. It was just a small matter."

Duchess Zheng shook her head. "Honoured Lady Jinyi, you don't have to be so humble. Even the imperial cooks couldn't have made such an amazing dish. Honoured Lady really has some marvellous ideas. It's awe-inspiring to me."

The back of Chu Lian's ears felt a little hot. How were these 'marvellous ideas'? She was merely a gourmet who had collected knowledge from the centuries of cooks before her... Duchess Zheng had really evaluated her too highly.

When Matriarch He saw her granddaughter-in-law looking so embarrassed, she chuckled. "Sanlang's wife, have you made more of those stuffed oranges? If there's more, bring some up for us to taste as well. My appetite’s been awakened after your small introduction just now."

Chu Lian nodded. "I have!"

Chu Lian retrieved a larger box of food from Mingyan's hands. The servants had sent over quite a number of oranges to the kitchen, and it hadn’t taken much to prepare them. Thus, Chu Lian had made a few more portions, thinking to let everyone have a taste of something new. With Matriarch He’s prompting, it was just the right time to bring out the extra portions.

Each person was given one orange; even the imperial physician who had come to check on Old Duke Zheng had one.

The people present here weren't as picky as Old Duke Zheng. Thus, the impact of the gourmet food was even stronger on them.

The imperial physician held on to the empty orange, feeling unsatisfied. He stared at the empty shell in his hands, finally having a shred of sympathy for Old Duke Zheng's predicament.

After tasting something so carefully prepared and so delicious, having to return to normal fare was like going from heaven to hell. It was extremely painful.

Old Duke Zheng had just woken up, so no matter how tasty the food was, Old Duchess Zheng didn't dare to give him much of it. She could only try her best to persuade him to pace himself, and finally managed to convince the old duke.

After finishing his meal, Old Duke Zheng had used up all the energy he had. He closed his eyes and returned to bed. The imperial physician took this chance to enter the inner room again and check the old duke's pulse. When he came out, Old Duchess Zheng anxiously asked about the old duke's health.

The physician smiled and reported that the duke would be fine.

Actually, Old Duke Zheng had a healthy body and sharp mind, despite his age. He was just a little more picky about his food. He was only bedridden because he had decided to fast- now that he was willing to eat, and since Chu Lian had prepared such a nourishing meal, his body would recover just fine, given some time. In the days ahead, he just had to drink some nourishing decoctions and return to eating normally.

Chapter 227: Keeping Her Behind (3)

The ladies of the Zheng Estate were overjoyed. Matriarch He was also happy for her old sister upon hearing the news.

Since Old Duke Zheng was fine now, it wouldn't be appropriate for them to continue disturbing his rest. Thus, Matriarch He wanted to bid her goodbyes for today.

Old Duchess Zheng had just agreed to send them off when her daughter-in-law, the younger Duchess Zheng, tugged at her sleeve and shot a look at her.

She then whispered a little into Old Duchess Zheng's ear.

The old woman stiffened for a bit. Her expression turned a little troubled and she turned to Matriarch He with some degree of embarrassment. She then looked again at the bright-eyed Chu Lian standing behind Matriarch He.

"Old Sister, I have a request..."

The slight smile on Matriarch He's face disappeared as she said, "Although we're not sisters by blood, our friendship is no less closer than a pair of real sisters! What is there that you can't speak of in front of me?"

After hearing such a generous reassurance from Matriarch He, Old Duchess Zheng finally set down her pride to plead, "Could you let Honoured Lady Jinyi stay in the Zheng Estate for a few more days? Old Sister, you know that my Duke has a picky appetite. I'm afraid that he won't want to eat anything again after waking up..."

Old Duchess Zheng knew that her request was a little too much. Chu Lian wasn't married to House Zheng, and she didn't have any close connections with House Zheng, either. Furthermore, she was already married to someone else. It would be very improper for her to stay at the Zheng Estate.

Also, this request did make it seem like the old duchess was treating Chu Lian like a mere cook. Even if Chu Lian didn't hold a ranked noble title like she did now, this was a rather degrading request.

If this matter didn't concern Old Duke Zheng's health, Matriarch He would have flown into a rage at her old sister.

When Chu Lian heard this request, her brows furrowed together. She really wanted to reject it outright, but this was Old Duchess Zheng and Matriarch He's conversation. It wasn't her place to speak here, let alone interrupt.

Thus, Chu Lian's expectant eyes turned to Matriarch He's face. If the matriarch decided to 'hand' her out without any hesitation, then Chu Lian would be utterly disappointed at the 'He Family'.

Any trace of a smile had been completely wiped from Matriarch He's face. A stern expression took its place instead. She looked at her old sister and, after a moment of thought, shook her head. Then, she firmly said, "I know you're anxious, but this request is too unreasonable. Sanlang's wife is still young. I won't be able to rest easy if she's staying somewhere outside of the Jing'an Estate."

On top of that, Chu Lian could only help with the pressing matter at hand; she couldn't take care of Old Duke Zheng forever. She wasn't a servant. She was House Jing'an's Third Young Madam, Sanlang's lawfully wedded wife.

Chu Lian hadn't expected Matriarch He to have refused the request so resolutely. Not only was she not disappointed, she could also feel herself grow a little fonder and warmer towards the He Family.

Due to this fondness, her eyes shone brightly with the warmth of her feelings.

Old Duchess Zheng also hadn't expected such a curt refusal from her old sister. She didn't know how to repair the current situation. She opened her mouth, but was at a loss of what to say. Old Duchess Zheng also knew that her request had been too overboard, but she was still unhappy that she had been refused so directly.

The younger Duchess Zheng didn't know what to say either, so the air around them turned awkward.

Chu Lian noticed that the situation was taking a turn for the worse, so after a quick turn of wits, she said, "Grandmother, Old Duchess Zheng is just worried for the old duke. Old Duke Zheng is simply craving good food. As long as he has something new to eat, he should be fine. Actually, this can be solved even without Granddaughter-in-Law around!"

At Chu Lian’s proposal, everyone looked at her with surprise.

She really had a solution to this problem?

As long as Matriarch He supported her, Chu Lian would give her best to help them out. If it was just having to make new dishes for Old Duke Zheng, then Chu Lian had plenty of ideas that could work even without her there.

Chapter 228: A Test (1)

Anyway, in the worst case scenario, she could just pass down some secret recipes to the best cooks in the Zheng Estate. After all, she had enough of those so-called 'secret recipes' to hand them out by the dozens.

Chu Lian smiled. "Old Duchess Zheng, Duchess Zheng, please wait for a moment. I would like to discuss this matter with my grandmother first. You won't be disappointed by the results."

Old Duchess Zheng and the younger Duchess Zheng exchanged looks. They had indeed gone overboard with their request, so they felt a little guilty. Since Chu Lian was still trying to compromise despite their rude request, they quickly agreed.

Old Duchess Zheng even ordered her handmaid to lead them to a nearby room for privacy.

Once they entered the room and closed the door, Matriarch He took Chu Lian's hands into her own. Her tone was still rather miffed as she said, "Lian'er, they are the ones in the wrong for this matter. You don't have to try to accommodate them."

Chu Lian helped Matriarch He to a chair made of yellow peach wood and reassured, "Grandmother, I know you’re trying to protect me because you’re worried I’ll be taken advantage of. However, you and Old Duchess Zheng are such old friends, and Old Duchess Zheng was just worried for Old Duke Zheng's health. I think her actions are forgivable. Furthermore, this matter isn't as serious as you think. Granddaughter-in-Law has plenty of ways to let Old Duke Zheng eat all the delicacies he wants! Just sit here for a moment and don't worry for Granddaughter-in-Law. Granddaughter-in-Law will take care of everything!"

Matriarch He stared into Chu Lian's bright eyes. When Chu Lian simply continued to innocently blink at her without a hint of forced reluctance, Matriarch He set aside her worries and smiled.

She was indeed close to Old Duchess Zheng and didn't want to make a huge fuss over this. Because the two of them were the matriarchs of their respective houses, it was hard to avoid these sorts of conflicts of interest, no matter how hard they tried- they just had different statuses and different interests at heart. They usually tried to avoid clashing with one another, but if they couldn't come to an agreement, then neither of them would give way.

Today, if their roles had been reversed, Old Duchess Zheng would have done the same.

However, if there was a solution that fulfilled the interests of both their sides, that would be even better.

"Alright, Grandmother will listen to you." Matriarch He patted Chu Lian's soft little hand.

Chu Lian sat right next to Matriarch He. The only people in this room were the trusted servants she had brought from the Jing'an Estate, and there weren't any strangers here, so there was no need to observe etiquette so strictly.

Chu Lian looked straight at the maidservants she had brought with her today: Xiyan and Mingyan.

Both of them stiffened a little after receiving her gaze; they instantly understood what Chu Lian was thinking about. Actually, after listening to Chu Lian's conversation with Matriarch He, they had already started to have an inkling of what Chu Lian's solution was.

Xiyan's inner conflict was completely exposed from her expression and her brows started to furrow together. On the other hand, Mingyan didn't seem to show much emotion.

Chu Lian quietly observed their reactions and motioned them closer. "Xiyan, Mingyan, come over here."

Xiyan and Mingyan walked up to Chu Lian with their heads lowered before asking in unison, "Third Young Madam, do you have any orders for us?"

Chu Lian didn't like to beat around the bush, so she immediately said it straight out. "I'm sure you've already guessed what I'm thinking of. Old Duke Zheng needs someone to take care of him while he's recovering, but I can't stay behind in the Zheng Estate. You've been serving me all this time and I've never kept my cooking or secret recipes hidden from both of you. You must have learned quite a bit from the daily meals in my courtyard. Now that this chance has come, are either of you willing to stay behind and take care of Old Duke Zheng's meals?"

As expected, Xiyan and Mingyan had indeed guessed what their young madam had in mind.

By the time Chu Lian had finished telling them her proposal, Xiyan already appeared anxious and unwilling. Conversely, Mingyan was much calmer than Xiyan. She kept her head lowered with her fringe shielding her eyes. Chu Lian couldn't tell what she was thinking.

Out of the corner of her eye, Mingyan cast a glance in Xiyan’s direction and saw Xiyan’s silent state. Since Xiyan was refraining from expressing her emotions aloud, Mingyan also didn’t speak up.

Chu Lian frowned when her two maidservants refused to speak. She continued explaining, "The two of you are my first-class personal handmaids, so I can't bear to send you off to someone else just like that. If one of you is willing to stay behind, when Old Duke Zheng gets better, I'll still send someone to bring you home. Of course, if both of you are not willing to stay back, I won't force it. There are always plenty of other solutions we can think of."

Chu Lian didn't like to force others at all. If none of the handmaids wanted to stay back, she wouldn't force the issue. She could just give out a few more secret recipes to settle the matter.

However, staying behind to take care of Old Duke Zheng was a rare opportunity for Xiyan and Mingyan. The two of them weren't stupid. They most likely realised that there were many benefits for them in this arrangement.

Chapter 229: A Test (2)

Matriarch He hadn't expected such a solution from Chu Lian. Her smile was full of hidden meaning as she also looked at Xiyan and Mingyan.

After hearing Chu Lian's additional explanation, Xiyan had obviously relaxed, but Mingyan suddenly tensed.

Chu Lian continued staring at the two handmaids. There was no small amount of pressure on them, facing down those piercing eyes. Xiyan and Mingyan's hearts were beating like drums.

"Tell me honestly what you think about this. No matter what your choice is, I won't blame you."

In an instant, Xiyan took in a deep breath and found the courage to look up. In a trembling voice, she said, "Third Young Madam, this servant doesn't want to stay behind. This servant... only wants to serve by your side."

Chu Lian was only startled for a moment. She smiled. "Then just stay by my side. Mingyan, what about you?"

Chu Lian’s answer lifted the great burden in Xiyan’s heart. She looked at her master with slightly misty eyes before moving to one side.

When Mingyan heard Xiyan's response, she clearly became even more nervous. After a fierce battle with herself, Mingyan still chose the path that was the most beneficial to herself. She looked up into Chu Lian's eyes and said, "Third Young Madam, this servant is willing to stay behind to look after Old Duke Zheng."

Mingyan had a pair of large eyes with double eyelids. Compared to Fuyan's liveliness, she was much more taciturn. The original novel hadn't described Mingyan much. Chu Lian also hadn't noticed any shortcomings in her personality after observing her for a few days. However, as she was someone serving her so closely, Chu Lian would always find a way to test her personality. Today's problem was one such chance. Unfortunately, Mingyan had clearly disappointed her.

However, this was her own choice, so Chu Lian wasn't going to blame her.

Chu Lian's expression didn't reveal any trace of her inner thoughts. She smiled sweetly and said, "Alright, then you'll stay and take care of Old Duke Zheng. Since you're my handmaid, don't disgrace my name. Don't be stingy with the secret recipes you've learned from me and use them generously for Old Duke Zheng's meals. As for the rest of the arrangements, leave it to me and Grandmother."

Mingyan hadn't expected Chu Lian to have agreed so quickly; her sudden happiness showed on her face. She secretly glanced at Chu Lian before looking carefully at Matriarch He. It was only after observing their expressions that Mingyan finally relaxed.

She began to look forward to her new life in the Zheng Estate.

In the end, as smart as Mingyan was, she was only a young maidservant who hadn't seen much of the world. As ambitious as she might be, there was a limit to her vision.

Since they had already finished their discussion and there wasn't any need for the other ideas she had prepared, Chu Lian instructed Mingyan on a few other things before helping Matriarch He out of the room.

Old Duchess Zheng hadn't thought that a simple handmaid serving Chu Lian could know so many secret recipes. She was full of shock and surprise, as well as disbelief. A single secret recipe was already rare enough. Even if Chu Lian could cook well, she couldn't possibly be so generous as to teach all of her recipes to her handmaids!

Taking in their disbelief, Chu Lian smiled and asked someone to prepare some ingredients. She then told Mingyan to show off her skills for the old duchess.

Mingyan prepared some dragon beard noodles. Rolling out the dough and cooking the noodles were not skills that normal people would know.

It wasn't until the finished dish was placed before Old Duchess Zheng that she finally believed that Chu Lian's handmaid was actually a skilled cook.

Since she had proven her skill, Mingyan was left behind to take care of Old Duke Zheng's meals. Old Duchess Zheng also knew that this was Matriarch He's largest concession to her request, so she personally escorted Matriarch He and Chu Lian all the way to the outer court together with her daughter-in-law.

Just as they were preparing to board their carriage, Heir Zheng rushed over.

Heir Zheng was young, and good at flattery. The moment he arrived, he greeted Matriarch He and thanked Chu Lian for the feast the other day. Finally, he asked about the opening of Guilin Restaurant.

Chu Lian was a little surprised. "Heir Zheng, how did you know that I'm about to open up a restaurant?"

Heir Zheng grinned. "I heard Brother He talking about it a few days ago. When the time comes, please don't forget to send me an invite, Honoured Lady Jinyi!"

"Of course."

So that was what had happened. Chu Lian smiled. Heir Zheng was so straightforward that it was hard to be annoyed by him.

After exchanging some pleasantries, Chu Lian followed Matriarch He back to the Jing'an Estate.

After he watched House Jing'an's carriage leaving the Zheng estate, Heir Zheng turned to his grandmother and mother curiously. "I heard that Honoured Lady Jinyi left her handmaid behind in our estate. What happened?"

When Duchess Zheng heard his question, she glared at him. "You keep playing around and skiving off on your work just to pry into small matters like this? Why do you want to know all these things?"

Heir Zheng had always had a sweet tongue around others, especially senior members like his mother and grandmother.

He hugged Duchess Zheng's arm. "Mother, like you said, it's just a small matter. Since it's something small, just tell me~ Then I won't have to go and ask other people."

Duchess Zheng only had one son, so she normally pampered him a lot. She looked at her son helplessly before poking him in the forehead. "The handmaid that Honoured Lady Jinyi left behind is good at cooking. She's here to take care of your grandfather, so don't go around making trouble for her."

Heir Zheng was surprised by this answer. "Good at cooking? Then how is she compared to Honoured Lady Jinyi?"

Old Duchess Zheng glared at her grandson. "How could she be compared to Honoured Lady Jinyi? She was taught by the Honoured Lady herself. Didn't you say that you've tasted the Honoured Lady's skills? If you try that handmaid's cooking in the future, then you'll know for yourself."

When Heir Zheng heard this, he couldn’t help but grow excited. With the meal he’d had back at the Jing’an Estate, it was no surprise that he had some high expectations.

It was already late afternoon by the time Matriarch He and Chu Lian finally returned to the Jing'an Estate.

Chu Lian escorted Matriarch He back to Qingxi Hall first. Right before she left, Matriarch He sent all the servants out of the room. She held Chu Lian's hand and spoke intimately with her.

"You silly child. How could you send your handmaid off just like that? Now there's one less person serving you. How about having Grandmother's Muxiang serve you?"

Chapter 230: Filled with Their Own Thoughts (1)

Muxiang was one of Matriarch He's most trusted handmaids. How could Chu Lian accept her offer?

She shook her head. Her bright eyes glimmered, full of spirit and affection.

"Grandmother, I'm not lacking for help. Furthermore, I'm the only one they have to serve in Songtao Court since my husband isn't around. There's no need to have so many servants just for me alone. Before Sanlang went off to the northern border, he even sent over Wenqing, Wenlan, and even Senior Servant Zhong for me. Even if Mingyan is going away, Wenqing can just take her place."

After some thought, Matriarch He came to the same conclusion. Chu Lian did have more than enough people to serve her since Wenqing and Wenlan had been added in. Since that was the case, she dropped the issue.

"Alright, since you have enough people on your side, Grandmother won't give Muxiang to you then. You did very well today. Even if that Mingyan decides to come back later on, think of a way to dismiss her from her service anyway. At least that other girl Xiyan seems to be more grateful." Matriarch He completely exposed Chu Lian's intentions in offering that choice to her handmaids.

Chu Lian smiled sweetly. "Grandmother's eyes are as sharp as ever!"

Upon seeing her sweet smile, Matriarch He reached out to poke her the forehead. "I wasn’t aware you were so good at reading people. That's good. These handmaids are meant to be our trusted servants; we can't keep those who harbour straying thoughts by our sides."

Chu Lian nodded in agreement.

After they finished their conversation, Chu Lian returned to Songtao Court with Xiyan in tow.

Xiyan felt a sense of pride welling up in her as she followed behind Chu Lian. Third Young Madam really trusted her now.

When they returned to Songtao Court, in just a short moment's time, the news that Mingyan had stayed behind to take care of Old Duke Zheng had spread. All the maidservants in the courtyard had uncertain expressions on their faces as all sorts of thoughts ran through their heads.

Chu Lian handed down some orders to Senior Servant Gui and Xiyan before heading into her bedroom for some rest.

Mingyan wasn't here anymore, so there was an empty position of a first-ranked handmaid to fill. After Senior Servant Gui and Senior Servant Zhong discussed the matter, they let Wenqing take up Mingyan's place. Her new responsibility was to take over Mingyan's work.

Wenqing and Wenlan had been second-class maidservants. Now that Wenqing had been promoted to a first-class personal handmaid, Senior Servant Gui promoted a few more third-class maidservants to second-class to fill the gap. In the end, even the little menial servant girl who had been in charge of sweeping the courtyard, Baicha, had been promoted to third-class by this ripple effect.

Baicha hadn't thought she’d ever get such an unexpected windfall. The moment it was announced, she looked like she was going to cry tears of joy right then and there, but was ultimately persuaded not to.

Now that the ranks of the courtyard had been settled, Senior Servant Gui dismissed everyone with a wave of her hand and they all returned to their duties.

Chu Lian's handmaids usually took turns in shifts. Xiyan and Fuyan were originally paired together while Mingyan and Jingyan took the other pair. However, now that Mingyan had been left in the Zheng Estate and Xiyan had just come back from serving Chu Lian, today's shift was taken up by Fuyan and Jingyan.

It was in the middle of the afternoon and it wasn't time for afternoon tea yet, so most of the servants in Songtao Court were resting in their own rooms. Chu Lian was also having a nice nap in her own room.

Senior Senior Servants Gui and Zhong brought Wenqing and Wenlan over to Xiyan's room with the intent of asking about the details of what had happened at the Zheng Estate.

In a small room off to the side of Chu Lian's bedroom, Fuyan and Jingyan were sitting on standby while drinking tea and eating some snacks.

Jingyan sipped a mouthful of sencha before sighing in a brooding manner. "Mingyan's so lucky."

She and Mingyan had both been sent to Chu Lian to serve as part of the dowry right before the wedding. The two girls weren't family servants and had been bought from an outside slave trader.

Chu Lian’s stepmother had bought her a pair of outsiders. On initial glance, it was a kindness, but it was actually the reverse! Why would Chu Lian's stepmother be so nice as to give her valuable servants from the Ying family’s pool? Servants who would be loyal to the Chu Family as well as already educated on noble family customs and manners? She wasn’t. Hence, Chu Lian ended up with Mingyan and Jingyan as part of her dowry.

Fuyan shot a glance at Jingyan. "It's all up to luck for these kinds of things. We didn't know there would be such a great chance for us before Third Young Madam left for the Zheng Estate."

That's true! If she had known earlier, she would have fought to be one of the servants accompanying Third Young Madam today.

Jingyan pressed her lips together in frustration. If she had taken Mingyan's place and followed Third Young Madam out today, she would have been the one left behind.

This was House Zheng they were talking about! Furthermore, she would have been put in charge of Old Duke Zheng's meals! She knew how to cook all the same dishes that Mingyan knew, too!

Setting aside how rich House Zheng was, Old Duke Zheng was someone that even the Emperor respected! If she served him well and received the old duke's favour, she might even be adopted as his daughter! And even if she had to return to the Jing'an Estate, she would have a higher status. She wouldn't just be a simple maidservant like Xiyan and Fuyan.

Other than that, House Zheng only had a single son for three generations. This son was the current Heir Zheng, who also just happened to be in the prime of his life! A ripe time for marriage!

Heir Zheng was currently studying in the Imperial College. He had a carefree and elegant bearing. The last time he had come to the Jing'an Estate as a guest, he hadn't entered the inner court. Otherwise, she would have definitely found a chance to peek at him.

Fuyan sent a disdainful look at Jingyan; she was looking down on her for being short-sighted. It couldn't be helped since she was bought from outside. Just a little bit of wealth had completely mesmerised her. She wasn't fit to carry heavier responsibilities at all! What a waste of Third Young Madam's guidance.

Due to Jingyan's depression, she couldn't even bear to continue eating her snacks.

Sh sounded just as down as she looked. "Fuyan, don't you want to go to the Zheng Estate too?"

Fuyan tossed the remaining fried fish skin and peanuts she was holding back into the porcelain dish on the table. She dusted off her hands and stood up. "I don't want to, I've been serving by Third Young Madam's side since I was little. Who would bother with that little bit of credit from serving Old Duke Zheng? Only you girls who came later would be so short-sighted."

Then, she turned around and went back to the outer chamber of Chu Lian's room to wait for her master's orders.

Chapter 231: Filled with Their Own Thoughts (2)

Jingyan hadn't expected Fuyan to speak like that. It lit a fuse in her, making her grit her teeth in frustration as she pointed a trembling finger at Fuyan’s departing back. However, she didn't dare to scold Fuyan either. There were quite a few other maidservants outside, after all.

In the end, Jingyan could only scold Fuyan in her mind for being a fake. Fuyan was clearly dead envious on the inside, but on the surface, she still acted like she could care less. What a fraud!

What could they gain from staying here in the inner court of the Jing'an Estate? Their young master was far off at the borders, and the main branch of this family wasn't close to theirs, either. The young master of the second branch only came back to the estate once or twice a month, so they didn't even have the chance to get close to him. Later on, when they came of suitable age, if Third Young Madam was happy with their service, she would bestow them to a steward of the estate. If she wasn't happy, then she might even marry them off to some menial manservant, to toil away for the rest of their days in poverty.

Mingyan was so lucky to have met such a good chance. Even if she couldn't get into Heir Zheng's bed, she might be able to get married to a minor official instead and become an official's legitimate wife.

As for her, she could only stay by Third Young Madam's side, toiling away her days in this Songtao Court. What kind of future could she have?

Mingyan's sudden departure had caused all sorts of hidden thoughts to surface in Jingyan's mind.

Meanwhile, as Fuyan continued walking towards the parlour, she kept up her calm exterior despite no longer being in front of Jingyan. But in reality, how could she not be boiling with jealousy of Mingyan?!

However, there were other thoughts in her mind that kept her more patient than Jingyan.

When she thought of He Changdi's outstanding figure and his handsome looks, as well as that strangely attractive cold demeanour and sombre air of his, Fuyan was filled with excitement. She was going to wait, no matter how many years it took. She was going to wait until the day that Third Young Master returned. With that letter in her hands, she was certain that she would be able to get Third Young Master's favour.

Meanwhile, Chu Lian was lying in her soft bed, covered in a fragrant, light blanket. She was deep in a comforting slumber, without any mind to care about what the maidservants in her courtyard were thinking about.

In the following days, Chu Lian was kept busy with the opening of Guilin Restaurant. Time flew by in the blink of an eye, and before they knew it, there was only one day left before the first of September, the day of Guilin Restaurant's reopening.

Mingyan had already been left in the Zheng Estate to take care of Old Duke Zheng's meals for about six days.

After eating the delicious food that Mingyan had personally cooked, Old Duke Zheng's spirit was back. In just a few days, he had already recovered to his usual state of health. By the fourth day, he was already able to get out of bed and move around. When it came to the sixth day, he could get up in the morning to practise the five-animal exercises of qigong.

On this day, Heir Zheng had come over to his grandfather's courtyard early in the morning. Old Duke Zheng had just changed into a short-sleeved tunic and was about to do some morning exercise when he saw that his grandson had come to visit him. He cheerfully extended an invitation to him and said, "Tiancheng, come and practise some techniques with me."

Upon receiving his grandfather's invitation, Heir Zheng grinned widely, showing off his teeth. He immediately took off his outer robe and tossed it to his manservant. Then, he strode over to his grandfather's side and started practising some morning exercises with Old Duke Zheng.

"You brat, why have you come over to grandfather's place so early in the morning? Are you here to steal a free meal?" Old Duke Zheng harrumphed.

Heir Zheng was a talkative one. "Grandfather understands Grandson the most! But Grandson isn't here just to fulfill some simple appetite today."

"Oh? What's the matter? Tell me."

Old Duke Zheng was full of energy. His punches were brimming with power. There was no trace of the man who had been on his deathbed just six days ago after almost starving to death.

The power of gourmet food was really quite miraculous.

"House Jing'an's Third Young Madam, otherwise known as Honoured Lady Jinyi, is about to open up a restaurant tomorrow. If Grandfather would like to go and take a look, Grandson happens to have two invites here."

"Honoured Lady Jinyi is that girl who came to our estate with Matriarch He the other day?"

"Indeed she is. That favoured maidservant you have here was left behind by Honoured Lady Jinyi."

"That does sound interesting. Leave one invite for Grandfather then!"

Heir Zheng was so happy that even his eyebrows were beaming.

After grandfather and grandson finished an hour of exercise together and took a shower, a senior servant entered the room to inform them that breakfast was ready.

Old Duke Zheng brought his grandson to the parlour, where the table had been laid out with a variety of dishes. There were steamed rice cakes, flower rolls, steamed dumplings, fried breadsticks, and also some steaming hot pork porridge.

They could the smell the tempting aroma of the food even from the entrance of the parlour. The two men were already starving, so they quickly walked right in and sat at the table.

As Old Duke Zheng looked over the table laden with breakfast foods he had never seen before, a passionate fire seemed to be burning in his eyes. He shot a look at Mingyan, who was waiting by his side. "Mingyan, quick, tell me what all these are."

After Old Duke Zheng spoke up, Heir Zheng turned to look at Mingyan, who was standing by the table. When Mingyan caught sight of Heir Zheng's gaze from the corner of her eyes, a faint blush covered her cheeks. However, she still managed to say, "Replying to Old Duke Zheng and Heir Zheng, the plate over on that end contains a dish called 'Double Golden Spears'. It's crispy on the outside and soft on the inside..."

Mingyan's gentle voice resounded within the parlour, but as Heir Zheng continued listening, he sensed something wrong.

Although this girl was introducing the dishes properly, there wasn't any mention of Honoured Lady Jinyi in her descriptions. By excluding her, Mingyan was trying to imply that she had been the one to invent all these dishes. How was that possible!

Heir Zheng's brows furrowed together as he took another look at Mingyan. This time, Mingyan also turned to meet his gaze. Her eyes were flush with desire, like a soft autumn wind.

Heir Zheng stiffened and quickly turned his gaze away.

Of course, all these little interactions had fallen into Old Duke Zheng's sharp eyes.

Chapter 232: Promotion (1)

There was an old senior servant standing behind Old Duke Zheng who served Old Duchess Zheng. She also had the wisdom and sharp eyesight that came with age.

Heir Zheng had recently started to come to Old Duke Zheng's courtyard for breakfast more often.

In the past few days, this maidservant that Honoured Lady Jinyi had left behind had always quietly retreated back into the outer chamber of the parlour after bringing the food in. She would wait for Old Duke Zheng's summons before coming back in.

However, ever since Heir Zheng had started coming over for breakfast, this maidservant began to stay by the table instead of leaving after laying out the dishes.

Once the heir entered the room, her eyes would be stuck onto him, as if no one else existed.

Her desires were so obvious that the old senior servant felt the urge to snort.

The old senior servant had also tried placing her own subordinates by Mingyan's side to learn from her cooking these past few days, thinking that Mingyan wouldn't notice. However, Mingyan was still rather careful. When cooking, she actually sent everyone else out of the kitchen and even locked the door. She would rather cook everything herself and guard every single secret recipe than to let others steal her secrets.

When Old Duke Zheng finished listening to Mingyan's explanations, he waved her away. "You're dismissed."

"Ah?" Mingyan was caught off guard by the sudden change. In a dazed manner, she said, "How about letting this servant serve Your Grace at the table? In the Jing'an Estate, Honoured Lady likes this servant's service the most."

The old senior servant sneered. So she finally remembered Honoured Lady Jinyi. Why hadn't she mentioned Honoured Lady Jinyi at all when she was explaining those dishes?

Old Duke Zheng suddenly looked at Mingyan with a frown. His eagle eyes carried an edge that stripped away all pretenses from their target.

Mingyan couldn't hold back the urge to tremble with fear and quickly retreated with her head down.

Old Duke Zheng cast a glance at Mingyan's back. What was that young lady thinking, sending her least loyal maidservant to him? Hmph, was she treating him like a test? Was that young lady satisfied with this result?

When Old Duke Zheng thought back to those words that Chu Lian had spoken to lure him out of his coma, his interest in her grew more and more. It seemed like he really did had to go and see for himself what skills that young lady had in store.

By the time both grandfather and grandson had finished their meal and allowed the servants to clear the table, the younger Duke Zheng had arrived.

When Duke Zheng saw that his son was at his father's place again, his brows furrowed together. "What time is it already? Why aren't you going over to the Imperial College yet? Your grandfather has just recovered. In the future, you're not allowed to come over in the morning and disturb your grandfather!"

Heir Zheng pouted and ran off in the blink of an eye.

House Zheng had been succeeded by only sons for three generations. Their family rules were actually very strict. Although Heir Zheng was pampered by his family, Duke Zheng was a strict parent. Case in point, Heir Zheng was already seventeen this year, but the servants in his courtyard were all male. He didn't have a single maidservant for his nightly needs, and was a genuine virgin.

Duke Zheng had already noticed that the maidservant Honoured Lady Jinyi had left behind to cook Old Duke Zheng’s meals had impure motives, so how could he possibly give her a chance to get close to his son?

Old Duke Zheng glanced at his son and pointed at the seat next to him.

"You've come. Sit down, how's that matter I entrusted to you?"

Duke Zheng took up a teacup and sipped some tea. Then, he nodded once and said, "I've already completed the tasks you've entrusted to me."

Old Duke Zheng leaned against the back of his chair and played with a pair of walnuts in his hands. He closed his eyes, appearing quite fatigued.

Chapter 233: Promotion (2)

Duke Zheng paused for a moment before saying, "Father, why did you suddenly think of the He Family's third son? Even if Mother and Matriarch He are old friends, our houses have always maintained a distance. If Father wants to repay Honoured Lady Jinyi's favour, then there are still plenty of other opportunities to do so."

Old Duke Zheng shook his head. "It's a simple thing that doesn't require any effort from me. Just let that girl reap some benefit from this. Don't worry, Father won't interfere in any more of House Jing'an's matters."

After hearing such a promise from his father, Duke Zheng finally relaxed. Although his father had a distinguished reputation, he had already retired from the court. If he continued interfering in political matters, it would definitely draw protests from others.

It was nightfall at the northern border of Liangzhou. The setting sun dyed the brown grasses of the plains golden. Although it was a bitterly poor place, the breathtaking scenery still brought joy to the residents' hearts.

Not far off, this golden sunlight fell upon two men, drawing out long shadows on the dried grassy plains.

A cold wind blew past, lifting up the ends of their robes. Seen from afar, it seemed as if they were standing on the edge of the horizon, taking step after step towards the fading light of hope.

Laiyue rushed forward to catch up to his master. He hadn't followed He Changdi when he had gone to join the northern border troops; instead, he stayed behind in the city of Liangzhou to help his master handle other affairs.

It was a rest day for the whole camp today, so Laiyue brought some necessities for his master over to the entrance of the camp.

It was only when he reached the camp that he discovered that his master had been promoted.

He had gone from a lieutenant leading a hundred men to a captain leading five hundred men.

Although it was only an additional four hundred men under his command, it was still a huge transformation.

A lieutenant could be called an officer, but could also be considered a slightly more elite soldier, as they only commanded a mere hundred men. However, captains were different. They carried a rank with them.

Of course, He Changdi's position of commanding five hundred infantry couldn't be compared to Captain Guo's position as a commander of cavalry. However, he was still considered a mid-ranked officer now, with an official sixth-ranked title.

In peacetime, it would normally be hard for soldiers to get promoted to a higher rank. What’s more, it was under the command of the strict general of the northern border, Duke Lu. Luck like this was extremely hard to come by.

Laiyue was immersed in joy. His master's efforts hadn't been wasted, and he could finally hold up House Jing'an's name as a military official family.

If he reported this matter in his letters to home, Matriarch He would probably be overcome with joy!

If Third Young Master got promoted again, Third Young Madam might even be able to become a titled noble wife!

With these thoughts, the corners of Laiyue's mouth unconsciously curled into a smile. However, when he saw that his master's expression was as cold as usual, he was a little confused.

Laiyue came over to his master's side. "Third Young Master, where are we going? It's a rare break for you; aren't we going back to our courtyard in the city for a good rest?"

He Changdi looked up at the old tent fluttering in the wind up ahead. He didn't reply Laiyue, but asked instead, "Have you received any letters from the capital?"

Laiyue had been serving He Changdi for years. He understood that his master didn't want to answer his question, so he dropped the issue. "Judging by the time that has passed, we should be receiving letters from the capital in the next two days."

He Changdi nodded and sunk back into his silence.

As they continued on their way, he didn't say anything more. Laiyue's thoughts were a jumbled mess as they tumbled around in his mind. What was wrong with his master? Hadn't he gotten promoted? Why was his expression still so dark, as if everyone owed him a few thousand taels?

Chapter 234: Ah-ma (1)

He Changdi turned his gaze towards the horizon. Though his footsteps remained steady, his thoughts had already drifted far away.

Other than Duke Lu and himself, even Captain Guo didn't know the real reason for his sudden promotion.

Even though he had been performing exceptionally in the army, he wasn't the only one. He wasn't as silly as to think that this was some special treatment gifted from the heavens because of his reincarnation.

He knew clearly what the personality of Duke Lu, also known as Great General Qian, was like after living two lifetimes. Even if General Qian's very own son came to this army, then he would still have to start from the lowest rank amongst soldiers. Furthermore, the general's demands would be even stricter. Since that was the case for the general's own flesh and blood, then some stranger like him would never receive any preferential treatment.

Getting to work under Captain Guo and rising to the post of lieutenant in such a short time was already quite the feat. That was also due to a combination of his previous life's memories and the help of Prince Jin.

He had been able to meet Great General Qian once more thanks to that grape wine Chu Lian had sent over. But although General Qian loved wine, he definitely wouldn't promote him based on that alone.

Thus, when Captain Guo had informed him that he had been promoted to a captain of the infantry, even He Changdi himself had been surprised.

At that moment, he had immediately requested to meet General Qian.

General Qian wasn't someone who liked to hide things, so he immediately revealed that it was Old Duke Zheng who had sent him a letter and requested for his promotion.

Old Duke Zheng had been General Qian's teacher in the past. His teacher had sent him a letter all the way from the capital just to tell him to give He Sanlang a chance. How could he not accept his teacher's request and do this small favour for him?

Furthermore, Old Duke Zheng was the person that General Qian respected most in his life. It wouldn't be an exaggeration to say that if his own father gave an order, General Qian might not even listen, but if it were Old Duke Zheng, then his words were like law. No matter what, General Qian would do his best to execute his orders.

Old Duke Zheng rarely requested favours from others, too, so General Qian couldn't just ignore the request.

However, He Changdi wasn't stupid. He wouldn't reject the promotion due to some misplaced sense of pride. As his rank grew higher, it meant that his starting point was placed even closer to his end goal, and he would be able to achieve his desires even faster.

He just didn't want to be someone blissfully unaware. There was always a reason behind abnormal situations. Although his grandmother was close with Old Duchess Zheng and they interacted often, that was only between the two old matriarchs. Their houses remained aloof to each other.

In his past life, after House Jing'an had landed in such a sorry state, Old Duke Zheng had never even said a single word of mercy in front of the Emperor. Why would he send a letter to General Qian now to take special care of him?

As much as He Changdi wanted to continue asking, he knew that he wouldn't be able to find anything out from General Qian. Firstly, without considering whether General Qian even knew about the details behind this request, he probably wouldn't be willing to divulge them to him.

After He Changdi asked to be excused from General Qian's presence, he could only wait for Prince Jin's letters or any letters from home to give him some sort of an explanation.

He Changdi hadn't received any letters from home for quite some time. He didn't even know if that wicked woman Chu Lian had been behaving properly in the estate. If she dared to make any inappropriate moves, then he would cast her off the moment he returned to the capital!

As these messy thoughts brawled back and forth inside his head, he managed to walk a rather far distance.

He Changdi remembered something from his previous life: a month after the Autumn Examinations, the Tuhun had suddenly begun to attack the northern border- the same northern border that had remained peaceful for five years before.

General Qian had brought over his troops to suppress the invasion for five whole months before he succeeded in maintaining the peace. Back then, the northern border troops had suffered heavy casualties. Furthermore, it had been winter and a blizzard had sealed off the mountain area. Supplies had been cut off from Liangzhou and over a fifth of the army had starved to death.

It was only after the snows had melted and spring had come, letting supplies flow into Liangzhou once again, that the situation had eased. They then destroyed the invading Tuhuns in one go.

It was also in that war that the captain of the left wing army under General Qian's command had achieved much merit and was promoted to General Changping. This captain-turned-general had even been given a noble title.

He Changdi's eyes narrowed and a bright glint flashed from within his pupils.

This time around, the wildlands where he’d met his end, his old place of exile, would become the same place he would start his journey from in his new life!

Chapter 235: Ah-ma (2)

After walking for another hour, the rundown old tent in the horizon was finally right before them.

This was a small hillock and the old tent had been set up where the hillock blocked the wind. The broken parts of the tent had already been patched up by someone using dried grass.

Not too far off from the tent was an area cordoned off by a line of short fences, corralling two thin-looking horses and a few old sheep.

The bleating of the sheep was transmitted across the plains thanks to the blowing winds.

By this time, the sky was already beginning to darken. However, there were no lights shining from the tent. As they stood outside, they could hear someone coughing and a woman speaking in a hoarse voice.

He Changdi's heart had long frosted over in the bleak freezing winds of Liangzhou, but it seemed like the woman's rough voice had slowly warmed it up.

His eyes seemed to carry more passion than usual as he stared at the tent, which had almost been swallowed in darkness. His deep gaze was currently filled with warmth.

He stood outside the tent for who knows how long. Finally, the tent flaps lifted, and a middle-aged woman walked out.

Darkness had already fallen. Clothed in some thick furs and fabric, the woman couldn't even see the newcomer's face. She could only vaguely make out a rough silhouette.

"Ah-ma."

He Changdi mumbled from the corner of his mouth.

The middle-aged woman had just come out to toss some water and wash some bowls. When she looked up only to see two dark shapes standing not too far away, she cried out sharply and fell to the ground.

He Changdi quickly went forward to help her up.

Up close, the middle-aged woman could finally make identify the silhouettes as two young Han. She immediately relaxed and tried speaking to them in the barbarian language.

He Changdi replied to her in the same language. He was so fluent that he sounded exactly like someone born to it. The middle-aged woman then happily welcomed He Changdi and Laiyue into the tent to talk.

The barbarians living out here in the borders of Liangzhou were always friendly and welcoming. They would treat those who could speak their language like their own family, with honesty and enthusiasm.

This quality of theirs, whether in his past life or present one, had never changed.

It was also due to this fact that they lacked caution against others, and in a few years, would be completely decimated by the Tuhun.

The middle-aged woman lifted up the tent flap, and a strange odour immediately filled He Changdi and Laiyue's nostrils.

This was due to the tent not being aired out for a long period of time, keeping all sorts of mouldy, stale smells within.

Laiyue couldn't resist the urge to pinch his nose. When he turned to look at his master, he found that He Changdi's calm expression hadn't changed a single bit, as if he was already used to this nausea-inducing odour.

When Laiyue saw his master's calm, he could only lower his hand and bear with the odour as much as he could.

There were no lights in the tent, so it was even darker inside.

He Changdi turned around to give Laiyue an order: "Light a lantern."

Laiyue felt his way to the short table placed in the middle of the tent before taking out an oil lantern from his bag and lighting it up.

With the flickering light of the lantern, the dark insides of the tent were instantly filled with a yellow glow. Using that dim light, He Changdi could finally see his surroundings clearly, including the face of the barbarian woman standing across from him.

The barbarian woman's eyes had widened and she was looking at that small oil lantern in disbelief. After staring in a daze for a moment, she quickly waved her hands and reached out to extinguish the lantern's flame.

"Ah-sai, there's no need to light a lantern; lantern oil is very expensive!" The barbarian woman said anxiously. 'Ah-sai' was a respectful term for esteemed gentlemen in the barbarian language.

The barbarians worked only by the natural light of the sun and slept when the sun set. They didn't have any money to spare for luxuries like lantern oil. To buy a lantern and the fuel needed for one, they would have to visit a Han family or go to the Tuhun markets. Furthermore, a single bottle of lantern oil cost half a sheep. Most barbarians wouldn't be able to afford one.

Lantern oil was an absolute luxury for them.

Chapter 236: Blank (1)

He Changdi held the barbarian woman back and shook his head. Then, he began to explain something to her in the barbarian language.

The barbarian woman shot a careful look at He Changdi before agreeing not to extinguish the lantern with a worried heart.

She anxiously stood up, intending to warm up some sheep milk for He Changdi. This time, He Changdi didn't stop her.

It wasn't until the barbarian woman had left the tent that He Changdi started to scrutinise the insides of this broken old tent.

There was a blanket covered by a fur skin in a corner of the tent. Two young boys were sleeping on top of it, one older and one younger. The older one looked to be seventeen or eighteen at most. The younger was most likely not even older than ten. The two boys had pale faces and were both clearly sick. Other than that strong odour of mould in the tent, there was also the light scent of medicinal herbs.

The younger child was still sleeping at this moment. However, the older one had been staring at He Changdi with eyes full of caution ever since he had stepped foot into the tent.

He Changdi's usually icy expression suddenly turned into a smile. Coupled with the warm glow of the lantern, highlighting his handsome features, he seemed like a deity who had descended onto this mortal earth. The young man lying in bed seemed a little dazed from this sight.

‘Myeryen’. This young man seemed exactly the same as the first time they had met in his previous life.

Even the caution in his eyes hadn't changed.

However, in his past life, they had met in the lands of exile he had been sent to, whereas now they were meeting in this small, simple tent.

In his past life, this young man had stood in front of him as a shield, but had been killed by the steel wielded by the guards supervising him. In this life, he had come to meet him three years early in order to protect him and his family.

By the time He Changdi led Laiyue out of the tent, stars had filled up the night sky. Even Laiyue, who didn't know the barbarian language, had found out that the barbarian woman was called ‘Urihan’ while the two boys were called ‘Myeryen’ and 'Narisong'.

The middle-aged Urihan escorted He Changdi far away from the tent, before watching as his back disappeared beyond the horizon of the plains. It was only then that she returned home.

Laiyue followed He Changdi under the light of the stars. Although he was curious as to why his master wanted to help a widowed barbarian woman and her children, it seemed like his master had too many thoughts on his mind to pay attention to him.

Their silence persisted until master and servant returned to the little courtyard they had bought in Liangzhou city.

Laiyue had been living in the little courtyard all this time, so it was kept very clean. Most of the things required for normal day-to-day living were also already present, so they could stay there immediately.

He Changdi had only returned for barely a moment when an average-looking man leaped into the courtyard and personally passed a blue cloth bag into He Changdi's hands.

Laiyue's face was filled with joy. "Third Young Master, it's a package from the capital."

As He Changdi held the package, for some reason, there was a strange sense of expectation in his heart, but even he didn't know what he was expecting to see inside.

Laiyue followed closely behind his master, waiting for his master to open up the package so he could peek inside as well. If there was jerky inside from Third Young Madam, then his master would definitely share some with him. However, who could have expected He Sanlang to carry the package into his room, locking Laiyue outside of the door.

The moment He Changdi entered his room, his long legs unconsciously walked faster in order to reach the table in record time. Next, he unwrapped the package at lightning speed.

He Changdi was stunned.

He stared at the contents for more than a few seconds before he finally managed to react. A bad premonition rose in his heart. Once he recovered his senses, he pulled out everything inside.

This package wasn't like the previous one. Not only was there not a single snack inside, there weren't even any carefully packed pieces of clothing within.

When he opened the package, there were only a few winter tunics inside. Even though they were made of fine fabrics and looked luxurious, he couldn't wear this type of fabric and styles at the northern border.

He Changdi couldn't help but remember the last package from home he had received.

The previous package had contained bruise balm, waterproof leather boots, comfortable inner clothes, short tunics for martial arts practice, and even wrist and shin guards. Although there were only a few of each item, they were all things he needed. Even those he hadn't thought of were there.

Laiyue had said that the wicked woman Chu Lian had prepared those for him.

Having experienced that sort of care and consideration, He Changdi felt an unexpected sense of disappointment after looking at the small package he had just received.

He Sanlang pressed his lips together and suppressed that strange feeling welling up within him. He reached out to move aside the clothing at the top of the package and took out the wooden box below containing letters from the capital.

When he opened the wooden box, his hands were unconsciously trembling and his heart was filled with a sense of uncertainty.

However, the moment he lifted the lid of the fragrant rosewood box, the first thing he saw was the giant leather envelope placed at the very bottom.

That wicked woman! Had she drawn more letters for him?!

Hmph! All she knew was how to skive!

He Sanlang was alone in the room now. If Laiyue had been there, he would have definitely caught a shocking, faint smile on his master's face.

He Changdi pushed aside the letters on top and took the giant leather envelope out of the box. His slender fingers flipped it over, every movement carrying a sense of urgency.

However, upon removing the stack of paper, He Changdi wordlessly stared at them for a good ten whole seconds. His originally warm eyes frosted over with anger. Finally, his handsome face turned dark and gloomy at a speed that human eyes could barely see. However, with the addition of his thick beard, his expression seemed a little funny instead.

After a few more seconds, He Sanlang threw the stack of papers to the ground in a fit, and even stomped all over them.

Those papers that had been tossed to the ground were actually all blank!

He Sanlang felt like his lungs were about to burst from anger.

That... that wicked woman! How dare she!

In order to deal with him, she had actually sent him blank pages!

He Sanlang hated that he couldn't just appear in front of Chu Lian and grab her- recklessly bully her for a bit, so that she would finally know her duties as a man's wife.

The impatient, moody He Sanlang paced about his room. If not for his extraordinary patience, this room would have already been destroyed to bits.

Chapter 237: Blank (2)

Back at the Jing'an Estate, Chu Lian was currently lying in bed in Songtao Court. She flipped over and sighed in relaxation. She had completely forgotten about the fact that she had sent He Sanlang a bunch of blank pages.

When the main steward had personally come over to ask for Songtao Court's portion of the letters for He Sanlang, Chu Lian had asked if He Changdi had sent any replies back. The steward had hemmed and hawed for a long time before revealing that the young master hadn't sent a reply.

Chu Lian had rolled her eyes on the spot. She had then entered her study, folded up a few pieces of blank paper and given them to the steward.

An eye for an eye. He Sanlang had to dream on if he thought she would send him letters when he hadn't replied to hers!

Meanwhile, He Sanlang didn't realise that it was his own fault that he had gotten a blank reply.

Laiyue was guarding his young master's door. He listened to the pacing footsteps of his young master and wondered as he pricked his ears, 'Is Third Young Master so happy that he got a letter from Third Young Madam that he can't sleep?'

It wasn't until fifteen minutes later that He Changdi finally managed to calm his anger. He sat back at the table and tore the rest of his letters open.

After reading through them, his brows started to furrow together.

It hadn't been as peaceful as he thought back at the capital.

That wicked woman Chu Lian alone had done quite a lot.

She had actually gotten a title for herself, and had even been personally named by the Emperor. She had gone to the palace’s Mid-Autumn Banquet with Grandmother. Even Old Duke Zheng's recovery had something to do with her. Furthermore, she was going to open a restaurant, and it was actually the one that Grandmother had long given up on.

For some reason, He Changdi started to remember the joking words that Laiyue had used earlier today.

"Third Young Master is rising up the ranks so quickly. Maybe Third Young Master will become a general in a few more months and Third Young Madam will become a titled noble wife!"

It was a matter of pride and glory for a husband to earn a noble title for his wife through his own hard work and achievements. However, that woman had somehow managed to earn a noble title for herself without him playing any part in it.

He shouldn't even care, but for some reason, he couldn’t help but feel a sense of dissatisfaction with himself.

He Sanlang swore in his heart that he definitely had to become a high-ranked official in the future. He was going to get a first-ranked noble title for her and beat that stupid honoured lady name. He was going to let the whole world know that she was He Sanlang's wife, and not some rubbish Honoured Lady Jinyi.

Immersed in his rage, He Sanlang didn't realise that his feelings about Chu Lian had changed from wanting to divorce her, to working hard in order to get her a first-ranked noble title...

Of all these letters, Prince Jin's letter contained the most details. After reading everything, He Changdi eventually managed to restrain the tumultuous feelings in his heart and think.

He finally realised why he had mysteriously gotten a promotion.

After finding out that it was all thanks to Chu Lian, He Changdi didn't even know how to name the emotions sitting inside his heart right now. All he knew was that the only thing he wanted to do now was to grab that wicked woman and sit her down before him so he could question her on what she was trying to do.

In the murky depths of his mind, something was slowly starting to change.

Was she really trying to help him?

Why?

Wasn't Xiao Wujing the one she really liked?

He Changdi was completely confused and disconcerted.

He took in a deep breath. By the time he managed to settle his thoughts, half of the night had already passed.

He personally changed the room’s candle and adjusted the wick before sitting back at the table and taking out a sheet of paper. Perhaps due to calming himself down earlier, his writing wasn't as wild and crazy like the scribblings on the last letter he had sent. This time, he set his brush to paper with firm and forceful strokes.

It was only when the first light of dawn started creeping up from the east that He Sanlang laid down on his bed, exhausted.

There were three envelopes on the table. The one on the bottom was the fattest and probably contained about seven or eight pieces of paper inside. On the outside of the envelope were the words: 'To my dear wife, Madam Chu'.

In the blink of an eye, it was already the first of September.

It was already deep autumn. The weather was also starting to cool down, especially in the early morning and night.

The best thing to do during this kind of weather was to stay in bed all day.

It wasn't too cold or too hot. There was a slight warmth encasing the room, making it very comfortable. Chu Lian was wrapped up in a soft brocade blanket, half of her porcelain white face and flushed red cheeks peeking above the hem of the blanket. Her breaths were long and even, indicating that she was in deep slumber.

When Senior Servant Gui and Xiyan entered the room, this was the scene that greeted them.

The corners of Senior Servant Gui's eyes twitched. She personally drew aside the curtains of the bedchamber and sat by the bed.

She gently shook Chu Lian twice. "Aiyah, my dear Third Young Madam. Look at how late it is, how do you still have the mood to sleep?"

Chu Lian rubbed her sleep-laden eyes and asked in a careless manner, "What time is it?"

Senior Servant Gui's expression was about to turn dark. "Third Young Madam, it's already the time of the dragon."

"The time of the dragon?" Then that was only about 7:30 in the morning in modern terms. Chu Lian shut her eyes, wanting to go back to sleep.

Chapter 238: Opening (1)

How could Senior Servant Gui let her continue sleeping? Perhaps if it was a normal day, then she would allow it as she usually did- even the matriarch regularly doted on Third Young Madam, exempting her from the sunrise morning call so their young madam could sleep in a little bit longer. The servants of Songtao Court were no better; they sympathized with their third young madam and always let her sleep as much as she wanted.

However, today was different. It was the day of Guilin Restaurant's reopening, something that Third Young Madam had been planning for quite a few months. The matriarch was also eager to see the results of her work!

"Third Young Madam, Guilin Restaurant is reopening today! You have to go over there yourself! Senior Servant Liu from Qingxi Hall even sent someone over to ask after you just now."

After hearing Senior Servant Gui's words, Chu Lian opened her eyes and sighed. She sat up and ordered Xiyan to bring her clothes.

While dressing herself, Chu Lian told them, "Momo, you don't have to be so worried. Even if I don't go there myself today, Guilin Restaurant will still do well."

How could Senior Servant Gui believe that? As magnificent as Guilin Restaurant was after the renovation, even though it now looked just as good or even better than that Yuehong Restaurant on Zhuque Avenue, she still didn't believe that Guilin Restaurant would be able to fill its tables with customers right after opening. After all, its location was less than ideal: surrounded by residential areas and on a deserted street to boot!

Senior Servant Gui thought Third Young Madam was trying to placate her like she was a naive child!

When Chu Lian noticed the doubt in Senior Servant Gui's eyes, a corner of her lips lifted helplessly. She decided to use the results of today to prove it to her instead.

Xiyan picked out an apricot-coloured dress with plum blossoms for Chu Lian. It wasn't too outstanding, but still seemed celebratory enough due to the red plum blossoms on the skirt. Although Chu Lian wouldn't be making a public appearance at the opening, she had to personally attend to the guests she had sent invitations to.

There weren't many invites; only ten in total. She had personally written all of them. After all those months of practice, her calligraphy was finally passable enough to show. All the effort she had put into her daily calligraphy practice had paid off.

Although there were only a few invites, they had all been sent to the most distinguished guests.

The Zheng Estate and Prince Wei's Estate had received two invites each. Lord Ge and the young Marquis Weiyuan had also received one each. Of the remaining four invites, two of them had gone to the Yang Estate, while the other two had been sent to her maiden house, the Ying Estate.

These were the distinguished guests that Chu Lian had invited today.

Chu Lian got dressed and slowly enjoyed her breakfast without any sense of urgency. It was only after Senior Servant Gui's anxious urging that she finally went to Qingxi Hall.

Today, it was Wenqing and Wenlan's turn to accompany Chu Lian. The other maidservants were to wait until it was close to noon before following the two senior servants over to Guilin Restaurant to serve their distinguished guests.

Fuyan and Xiyan stood by one side and looked at Chu Lian's slender silhouette.

Fuyan was completely dumbfounded. She clicked her tongue in admiration. "Hey, why isn't our Third Young Madam worried at all? Will that out-of-the-way restaurant really become a booming business?"

Xiyan glared at her, confidence written all over her face. "Don't talk nonsense. I believe in Third Young Madam."

Fuyan was still filled with disdain in her mind. She was just speaking the truth, why was Xiyan stopping her?

She didn't know where Xiyan got that self-confidence of hers. In her heart, even a person as wise as the matriarch hadn't been able to save that lousy old restaurant. How could their Third Young Madam be even smarter than the matriarch?

In the courtyard of the main branch, Madam Zou waved her hand to dismiss the stewards who had come over to give their daily reports. A maidservant passed over a fresh cup of tea to her.

Madam Zou took the teacup and carefully sipped at it, her lips slightly curved into a smile.

If she remembered correctly, today was the day that her third sister-in-law was going to reopen Guilin Restaurant.

Guilin Restaurant was one of the matriarch's businesses. She knew better than anyone else about the situation of that old restaurant. She admitted that her third sister-in-law's secret recipes were really quite delicious, but the restaurant’s abysmal location couldn’t be denied: it was too desolate an area to attract a crowd. No one would think to walk over there just for a meal.

A dead district is a dead business, what more for a restaurant!

Building up a name for the restaurant wasn't something that could be achieved in just one or two days. By the time that happened, it would be too late. In the end, all of Chu Lian's hard work would have gone to naught, only for her to benefit from it.

When she thought of this, Madam Zou felt especially pleased. Today, she was waiting to see Chu Lian's disgrace.

Just as her thoughts were lifting her mood, she spotted He Changqi striding out from their bedroom. When she saw that he had taken special care in dressing up today, she frowned. "Dalang, where are you going?"

He Changqi straightened his collar and ordered a maidservant to bring over his breakfast. He then sat at the table and picked up some chopsticks before explaining, "Third Sister-in-Law's restaurant is going to open today, so I'm going there to help her out."

When Madam Zou heard this, her eyes immediately widened. "It's just a small restaurant, why do you have to be there too?"

He Changqi frowned as he looked at her. "Brother Ge, Tiancheng, and Marquis Weiyuan are all going there to support the restaurant's opening. If I don't go, who's going to attend to the male guests?"

Madam Zou stiffened and she looked at her own husband in disbelief. Suddenly, her heart was wavering with uncertainty. She thought back to the day that her husband had brought his friends over for a meeting and she had stolen Chu Lian's credit. Had... had they already known before that?

When he recalled the events of that day, He Changqi lost all appetite. He set down his chopsticks and lifted the edge of his robe as he stood up. Right before he left, he shot a meaningful look at Madam Zou. Finally, he walked right out of the courtyard without even a goodbye.

Left alone in the parlour, sitting on a fragrant wood chair, Madam Zou's face turned deathly pale.

She wanted to call him back, make him turn around with a cry of 'Dalang', but the word stayed stuck in her throat, even long after her husband had already left.

Chapter 239: Opening (2)

At Yuehong Restaurant.

A lively feast was currently underway in the restaurant. People were urging their friends to drink and creating a pleasant buzz of noise. Suddenly, they heard the sounds of a commotion coming from the street outside, followed by an uproar of voices. Everyone subconsciously exchanged looks before the person closest to the windows pushed open the window pane.

The cacophony from outside poured into the room.

"What a huge crowd on the streets!" someone said.

A large man with curly whiskers roared with laughter. "What's strange about that? There's usually a crowd on the streets."

Suddenly, all the people in the main hall laughed in unison.

The cheeks of the person who had first spoken up flushed red. "No, no, it seems like there's something going on. Someone's splitting up the crowd and making way for someone else... Some of them are dressed in lion dance costumes!"

The people of the capital all held a curious heart, no matter their status or rank. Very quickly, there were people poking their heads out to find out what the buzz on the streets was about.

"What a grand-looking lion dance troupe. I've never seen six people dancing at once. Don't tell me they've also prepared music to go along with this performance?"

"Is it really that grand?"

At this time, a young man dressed in blue walked in from the entrance. The moment he entered, he started shouting, "Quick, come with me to check out the performance! I just came over from Changping Lane and that grand lion dance troupe is preparing for their performance over there!"

The crowd couldn't hold back their curiosity. Quite a few of them came out of the restaurant and onto the streets one after another.

De'an Restaurant's Mr Wang had still been settling some accounts at the counter of his restaurant. Following the increase in noise from outside, the originally full main hall of his restaurant suddenly emptied out. A few waiters hurriedly chased after the leaving customers to settle their bills.

"What's going on?" the grey-haired Mr Wang frowned as he asked one of his waiters.

"Manager, will you allow this one to go out to check for you?"

Mr Wang waved his hand in permission.

After a short moment, the waiter returned. "Manager, Manager, there's something big going on outside!"

"What kind of event is it?"

The waiter gestured with his hands as he said, "There are six people dressed in lion dance costumes out there, with shining lion heads this big! They even have musicians and singers behind them, all wearing the same kind of clothes, and though they look very festive, no one knows what they're going to do. They're currently finishing preparations out on the streets. It looks like the performance is going to start in a while. Manager, do you want to go out and watch too? There are lots of people outside on the streets right now!"

The waiter was clearly excited, and it was written all over his face, too.

Mr Wang set down the abacus in his hands and strode over to watch together with the waiter. All the customers in the restaurant had been drawn away, so they couldn't do business anyway. Why not check out what was going on outside and find out who was trying to cause trouble?

When it was finally 10am, the lion dance troupe gathered on Zhuque Avenue right outside Yuehong Restaurant suddenly began shouting together. The golden lions behind them started dancing, and following that, the music troupe behind them began to play their instruments.

With the lion dancers in front and the rousing music behind, everyone was captivated. After a few beats, some of the spectators who had an interest in music began to cry out in surprise.

"What tune is this? Why is it so strange yet so full of emotion?"

Just as someone finished saying so, one of the musicians started singing in a rough, loud voice.

"The great rivers all run to the east! The stars in the sky look up to the North Star!"

Right after the first line, the remaining ten or more men in the troupe continued in a chorus, "Hey hey~ Look up to the North Star~ A cup of wine for our sworn brothers~"

The leading singer continued, "If I say march, we all march! Yours and mine are all shared between us!"

The low and fierce chorus line shouted, "Hey hey~ All shared between us~ No retreat come floods or fire!"

Of all the people of the capital, no matter if they were nobles or commoners, this was the first time they had heard such a strange yet catchy song.

These lyrics were like normal speech and the tune was easy to follow. The wild and heroic music made people's hearts soar with excitement.

The crowd on the streets started getting bigger and bigger as all of them tried to peek at what was going on.

Someone at the front of the crowd shouted, "The lion dance troupe is moving! They're moving! Everybody make way! Make way!"

Amidst the bobbing heads of the crowd, someone asked, "What are they doing? Why is it so lively here?"

"We don't know either. Look, the troupe is moving forward, let's follow along and see!"

A middle-aged man interrupted their conversation and said, "Hmm? That troupe looks like it's heading to the stage northwest of here. Don't tell me that it was this group of people who built it… That wooden platform was just set up a few days ago!"

The lyrics to the song 'Song of Heroes' were simple, and there were only two parts to it, yet the melody was rousing and majestic. The singing troupe had only repeated the song twice, but the crowd following behind them had already learned how to sing along.

The leader of the music troupe sung once again, "When I see injustice, I roar with anger! When it's time to act, I fight! I travel the world, doing as I like!"

Without waiting for the chorus from the troupe, the crowd had already started chanting, "Hey hey, hey hey yo hey hey, hey hey, hey hey yo hey hey."

That strange melody and magnetic song suddenly spread through the entire street in an instant. The lyrics were so easy to remember that even the little children had learned them. They ran alongside the lion dance troupe, chanting along with the singers.

With the lion dancers dancing and the troupe members singing, the wide Zhuque Avenue was actually filled to the point that even a pebble couldn't squeeze through.

"Look, the lion dance troupe is finally stopping!"

The lion dance troupe had indeed stopped before the wooden stage that had been built beforehand. Following that, they nimbly climbed up onto it, causing the crowd to gasp in admiration.

The sounds of singing and drums suddenly disappeared.

At the last moment when the singing and drums stopped, the raised lion head suddenly spit out a large red scroll.

Chapter 240: Becoming Famous (1)

"Sleepy birds return to the forest at dusk, floating clouds return to the mountain when it's clear. Congratulations to Guilin Restaurant for its grand reopening!"

Guilin Restaurant, Guilin Restaurant?

So it's Guilin Restaurant!

Many of the old gourmands standing below the stage had a sudden spark of realisation. Following that, they cheered in excitement.

Others in the crowd shot odd stares at the old foodies.

A white-bearded old gourmand posed in deep thought as he stroked his beard. He made sure that the people around him were itching with curiosity before he said, "This Guilin Restaurant is one of the old well-known restaurants in the capital. It's located where the entrance of the old west market used to be."

So it was a restaurant!

The crowd finally realised what was going on.

After such a huge buzz, it was just a restaurant? And here they were, thinking that it was some grand event!

The news spread quickly, and the originally festive atmosphere brought about by the lion dancers and the lively song dampened a little.

Some people reacted with disdain.

"I was wondering what was going on. So it's just the opening of a restaurant, and an old poor one at that. It's even located in that desolate old west market. Does the owner even know how to do business? Who's going to go to a place like that?"

"A restaurant? They actually dared to open a restaurant? There are already over ten or more famous restaurants on Zhuque Avenue alone. They're really overestimating themselves."

"I think we can all just leave now. What else are you waiting for? Let's go, let's go!"

Not far off, the watching Manager Qin smirked.

By this time, a young server had come up to greet him. "Master Qin."

"Is everything ready?"

The server stood to the side and revealed the things arranged behind him.

"The other five points in the city are also ready."

Manager Qin's gaze landed on the three mid-sized jars behind the server and he nodded at the young man.

"Bring them up."

The server immediately called up a few men behind him to help.

Just as the crowd was about to disperse, Manager Qin walked up onto the stage.

The moment he appeared, the troupe’s drummers hit their drums with two forceful strokes.

The crowd's attention was once again drawn to the stage.

Manager Qin was dressed in a sapphire blue brocade robe. His black hair was tucked neatly away into his headpiece. Dressed as he was, he didn't seem like a servant; rather, he seemed more like a scholar.

Manager Qin was someone who knew how to give off a good impression. He bowed in a semicircle facing the crowd, instantly drawing their favour.

In a voice loud enough for everyone to hear, he said, "It's the opening of my master's restaurant today. Firstly, thank you all for coming."

Then, Manager Qin bowed to the crowd once again before continuing.

"My master would like to pass on these words: Since Guilin Restaurant is one of the oldest restaurants in this capital, it wouldn't be good if it were to fail in her hands. For today's opening, my master has specially instructed me to treat everyone to a taste of Guilin Restaurant's cooking. If you think it's good, you can draw a lot to win a seat at today's free tasting feast in Guilin Restaurant. My master also said this: we're going to make our Guilin Restaurant the best restaurant in this capital, or quit the business entirely!"

Wow, what a boast!

Manager Qin had practically drawn all the hatred of the other restaurants.

Quite a few of the people in the crowd today were managers and servers from the capital’s most famous restaurants, and he had simultaneously offended them all at once!

Without waiting for those managers and servers to stand up and scold him, some of the ardent supporters of those restaurants had already stepped up.

"Nonsense! It's obviously Yuehong Restaurant that makes the best food in the capital!"

"...what?! It's De'an Restaurant's feast that's the best! You're just a nameless little rascal, how dare you talk so wildly!"

......

The huge crowd of people had a favourable impression of this scholarly manager at first. However, after his great boast, they only thought that he couldn't tell good from bad and was too cheeky for his own good.

In an instant, the sounds of chiding and cursing filled the area below the stage.

Chapter 241: Becoming Famous (2)

The poor Manager Qin was about to be universally condemned by these people.

However, Manager Qin still stood up straight on the stage with his hands behind his back. He even carried a faint smile on his face, as if their scoldings couldn't even shake him one bit. He quietly waited for the crowd to release their emotions for a moment before he said, "As the saying goes, if you don't have glue, don't try to fix a broken bowl. You won't know what I can do until you see for yourself. If you don't believe me, why not come up and have a taste? My master and I will be satisfied, no matter your judgement, if you try it at the very least."

Oh ho, that young manager was putting out wild boasts again!

Fine, I'll make sure this conceited man returns in defeat!

The spectators below hadn't thought that Manager Qin would challenge them to judge like this. As they clamoured to go up for a taste, they were filled with both ire and determination: no matter what, they would make sure this lousy Guilin Restaurant would have no choice but to admit defeat! They wanted to make this restaurant that hadn't even officially opened yet turn into the joke of the capital.

Manager Qin shot a look at the server behind him. The server brought out six strong men, who then moved a pile of crude porcelain dishes to the sides of the stage.

Next, the crowd watched as big fat jars as tall as their calves were moved to the center of the stage.

Looking at the three crudely made jars, someone below started laughing. "Hey, Mr Manager, your master can't possibly be treating us to whatever 'delicacy' is in those jars, right? Let me guess, it's pickled vegetables in there, right?"

"Oh my, so Guilin Restaurant's specialty is pickled vegetables! They must be as old as Guilin Restaurant itself!"

Manager Qin wasn't bothered by the taunts from the crowd below. He simply looked at the three jars and waved his hand at the server.

The three servers standing behind the jars lifted their hands and took off the leather lids from the jars all at once.

The autumn wind blew past from behind the stage, causing the fragrant aroma to drift all around the area.

The noses of the people closest to the stage twitched.

"What is that smell? Why does it smell so good?"

"I smelled it too! Heavens, what is that?!"

Steam rose up from inside the three crude jars, shrouding the stage in mist.

Suddenly, someone pointed at the sight and said, "The smell is coming from those jars!"

After that person pointed it out, quite a few people started moving closer to the stage, causing the crowd to thicken.

"It's really coming from the jars. What is it!"

When someone finally asked the question, Manager Qin's smile slowly widened. He patiently explained to the watching crowd, "This is my master's secret recipe of braised pork in a pot. It's one of our Guilin Restaurant's specialties. We used top-quality pork belly and cooked it in our own secret way. All of you here have good luck! This is the first time this dish is making an appearance in this world. If you want to taste it, you'll have to be quick!"

Meat! Heavens! So it was actually meat inside!

It was the first time they had seen someone using jars to cook. Furthermore, this delicious aroma was so rich and appetising. Was it really just pork in there?

How could that base pork smell so heavenly? Impossible!

In the current age, very few of the nobles would use pork in their cooking. Most of the meat they ate was comprised of venison or mutton. Pork was meant for the poor commoners who couldn't afford to buy mutton.

Chapter 242: Becoming Famous (3)

Of course, the low standard of cooking in the Great Wu Dynasty went without saying. Since the food made in a noble house was already that poor, how could the normal commoners' fare any better?

Normally, pork meat had a certain odour to it. The usage of seasonings in this era wasn't very advanced, either. Pork flavoured with salt and cooked in water... just the thought of it wasn't very appealing at all.

The aroma of this carefully braised jar of pork was an immense shock to the crowd.

The commoners who had been crowding around and flooding them with curses suddenly had the urge to run up onto the stage and grab one of their crude porcelain dishes.

There was a waiter stationed behind each of the three large jars, holding a small copper ladle in their hands as they told the crowd to line up. They dipped their ladles into the jars, giving off fragrant steam as they scooped food into the dish of the first person in line.

The copper ladles were just too small. A single scoop would bring up only two or three small cubes of meat. Another waiter would then sprinkle some finely diced spring onions on top of the meat that had been turned brown by the sauce. For some reason, although it was just some meat sitting in a crude grey porcelain dish, it seemed rather artistic with the green of the spring onions, making everyone’s stomach rumble.

The old gourmet who had first recognised Guilin Restaurant's brand had finally managed to get a small dish of the braised pork in a pot after an arduous wait. He carefully held it in his hands as he walked away. The small meat cubes in the dish were still steaming hot and trembled with his every step, practically seducing him to eat it all up.

The old gourmet squeezed out of the crowd with the dish cradled protectively in his embrace before stopping and taking a long sniff of the pork. He sighed as if drunk on the smell. Then, he took out a pair of silver chopsticks wrapped up in a cloth from within his sleeves. Using the chopsticks, he carefully picked up a piece and placed it in his mouth.

The delicious taste enveloped his entire mouth. After chewing it precisely two times, the thick flavour completely dominated his tastebuds. The meat cubes were fresh and tasty, fatty but not greasy.

The old gourmet was instantly captivated by the taste of this braised pork in a pot. He lost all the patience to carefully judge the remaining two pieces and quickly stuffed the remaining pork into his mouth.

He chewed on that big mouthful of food and gulped it down.

When he looked down at the empty porcelain dish in his hands, the old gourmet's mind instantly turned blank.

Those three pieces of pork in a pot weren't enough by far. He hadn't even been able to savour its flavour before it was all gone. That amount was really way too little. He smacked his lips and suddenly recalled what Manager Qin had said earlier on the stage.

Other than this free sample of braised pork, they could draw a lot to win a chance to eat a free feast in Guilin Restaurant!

The old gourmet immediately plowed through the crowd to charge back towards the stage with a strength he didn’t even known he had.

Even though it seemed like there was a lot of meat in the three jars, it wasn't enough to feed all the people in this crowd. Furthermore, even though the jars looked big on the outside, its volume was only half of what it looked like it could contain.

All the meat in the jars had been given away in an instant.

When his ladle touched the bottom of the jar, the waiter realised that there was only some sauce left. He looked up and apologized to the young man at the front of the line. "Young man, I'm sorry, we've finished giving out all the free samples for our opening today. If you would like to try out Guilin Restaurant's cooking, then come to the alley in the west market early in the morning!"

The young man stared at the waiter in disbelief, his eyes wide open. He refused to believe the waiter and even snatched the jar over to look at the emptiness within for himself. It was only then that he pounded his leg in frustration and blamed himself for not queueing up earlier.

The other people waiting in the queue had similar reactions after hearing the waiter's announcement. However, like the old gourmet, they recalled Manager Qin's words and fought to be the first to draw a lot from Manager Qin.

In an instant, it had become livelier than ever. After eating Guilin Restaurant's braised pork, all the voices of opposition had melted away into nothing.

Even though Guilin Restaurant had just newly opened and was even situated in the desolate old west market, many of them immediately turned into Guilin Restaurant's loyal fans.

These three jars of braised pork in a pot were like a strong drug. If you hadn't tasted them, you would be fine. However, after tasting it once, you would only crave for more. Those few pieces of meat had drawn everyone's curiosity and appetites out of hiding.

Right now, even if Guilin Restaurant was located in the neighbouring city of Zhangzhou instead of the out-of-the-way old west market, there would still be people who would travel hundreds of miles without fatigue just to have a taste of this heavenly food again.

Manager Qin's smile was kind. He faced all the people who came up to draw lots with good humour. However, De'an Restaurant's Mr Wang, who was not too far away, felt that there was clearly a wily little fox standing behind the friendly facade of this young manager.

Furthermore, it wasn't just this Manager Qin who was a wily little fox. That master that he had spoken of must be an even more cunning, even bigger fox!

Mr Wang's horizons had broadened from today's spectacle. He had never seen a restaurant opening like this. He believed that it wouldn't even take a month- no, maybe not even a day- before this newly opened Guilin Restaurant's name would be known all over the capital!

He didn't want to admit defeat! The master behind this Guilin Restaurant was quite the schemer! However, he couldn't do anything but accept this hard truth. Guilin Restaurant's food was just way too tasty.

Mr Wang had already experienced much of the world with his years. He also had a noble sponsor backing his restaurant. On New Year's Day and other special days, he could use that connection to have a meal or two in a noble estate. The dishes served in that noble house were already considered heavenly delicacies to most people. However, compared to this completely ordinary-looking pork in a pot, those 'delicacies' instantly became some unpalatable, rough fare.

Mr Wang sighed. His mind wandered back to those measly pieces of braised pork he had just eaten. He really wanted to have a few more bites!

Mr Wang looked down at the wooden tablet in his hands- the lot that he had just drawn. There was even a sense of anticipation within him, hoping that he would be one of the lucky few.

Chapter 243: Becoming Famous (4)

The sound of drums rang out from the stage. Manager Qin stood in the center, carrying himself with grace as he read out the numbers of the winning lots.

With every number he read out, an excited cheer would cry out from below. Obviously, the person who held the lot with that number was the one cheering.

In the end, De'an Restaurant's Mr Wang wasn't so lucky. However, he wasn't about to admit defeat. He spent ten whole taels of silver to buy a winning lot from one of the lucky winners.

He was going to Guilin Restaurant's feast today, no matter what!

The waiter following behind Mr Wang developed an eye twitch as he watched his manager give away those big silver taels. That was ten whole taels right there! A whole year of living expenses for his family!

Guilin Restaurant had been renovated according to the blueprints that Chu Lian had drawn. Later on, she had also gotten Manager Qin to buy the two residences on either side of the restaurant.

Although Guilin Restaurant's entrance was still the same size, its insides had been changed completely.

The rear court had been changed into a two-part courtyard, complete with its own decorative mountain and long corridors. Although it couldn't be compared to the noble estates of the capital, it still had a certain air of delicate elegance, like the watery regions of Jiangnan.

The original two-part main courtyard had been changed into several small little courts. Each court had its own style of furnishing. Some of them were simple and traditional-looking, others were homely and elegant, and there were even some modelled after the Japanese restaurants of the modern world. Basically, each court had its own unique flair.

For their customers' convenience, the inner courtyard was reserved for females, while the outer courtyard was used for males.

These little courts were made for those with higher status, while the common folk who came here just to eat would be served in the main hall and on the second floor of the main building.

Guilin Restaurant had two entrances. There was even a hidden entrance in the back after rounding the corner, made for those with special status.

The waiters and maidservants serving in the two-part courtyard at the back were all carefully picked out by Manager Qin. They were on a different level from the servers who had been shouting and serving out the free samples on the stage.

Seeing as it was almost noon, Chu Lian entered Guilin Restaurant from the back entrance, accompanied by her maidservants.

Once she entered the courtyard, Manager Qin came over to welcome her. "Third Young Madam, Lady Yang and Royal Princess Duanjia have already arrived. They're waiting for you in Earth Court 1!"

Chu Lian nodded in acknowledgement. She hadn't expected her two guests to have come so early.

"What about the male guests?"

When he heard Chu Lian's question, Manager Qin smiled. "Heir Jing'an has already arrived. He's helping to attend to the male guests right now! Old Duke Zheng has also come."

Chu Lian raised an eyebrow. She had sent Heir Zheng two invites. However, she hadn't expected him to give one to Old Duke Zheng.

When Manager Qin saw that Chu Lian's expression had changed slightly, he paused before adding on, "Miss Mingyan has also come over with Old Duke Zheng."

Chu Lian glanced at Manager Qin, but didn't reply to him outright. She only said, "Have someone keep an eye on the situation. Make sure that the people who won the lucky draw are treated well, too. We can't have anything going wrong today.

"Third Young Madam, please rest assured. This subordinate will send some people to keep an eye on everything."

After she finished instructing Manager Qin, she led Wenqing and Wenlan with her to meet Royal Princess Duanjia and Lady Yang.

At this time, two carriages arrived at the entrance of the alley of the old west market, accompanied by a few retainers following alongside them. Even from afar, there were already commoners gawking at this expensive-looking carriage.

Some ignorant children were even following the carriage from behind and running along with it. After getting shouted at by two burly-looking retainers on horseback, the children ran off in fright.

The curtains at the front of the carriage were pulled aside from the inside. Miss Yuan rolled her eyes after taking a peek. "What kind of terrible place is this? Sixth Sister must have gone mad, opening a restaurant in a place like like this."

The lady sitting opposite her, Miss Su, glared at her. "If you have nothing good to say, then don't speak at all."

Miss Yuan harrumphed in contempt, "You're just saying so for appearances. I bet you're feeling the same way in your heart, maybe even more than I am. What are you playing the good guy for?"

Miss Fu smiled as she watched from the side.

Miss Su's face flushed red. However, she didn't have anything to say as a retort.

She was indeed thinking the same thing inwardly. Opening a restaurant out here in this desolate residential area... would any customers really come all the way out here?

Even she, as a young miss who didn't know much about business, understood this logic. Could Chu Lian really be that stupid?

When Miss Yuan saw that Miss Su was tongue-tied and red from frustration, she felt completely refreshed.

Miss Yuan was filled with disdain. It was just a small restaurant- that bitch Chu Lian even sent an invite over. She hadn't wanted to come at first, but after thinking it over, she sent someone to hear more about the situation, only to find that the restaurant was actually located in such an out-of-the-way area. Of course, she suddenly found the interest to come after that.

She wanted to see how Sixth Sister was going to lose face!

She still carried the grudge from that incident with the hairpin!

Chapter 244: Becoming Famous (5)

It was exactly because of that grudge that Miss Yuan pestered Second Madam until she agreed to let her attend the restaurant's opening together with the other young ladies of their family.

Madam Rong had intended to come along as well, but an unexpected incident held her back. As the lady-in-charge of the Ying Estate, her top priority was the estate’s affairs. Thus, when Madam Rong personally escorted the three ladies to the estate's entrance, she instructed the eldest amongst them, Miss Su, to take care of her younger sisters in her steed before sending off their carriage.

The three sisters had arrived late. By 12pm, all the manservants and maidservants in charge of welcome the guests had already returned to the restaurant, and even Chu Lian thought it was unlikely House Ying would send any representatives since it was so far past the greeting time.

Without any escort at all, House Ying's carriage went straight to Guilin Restaurant's main entrance.

Before they got off the carriage, one of the retainers outside leaned in close to the carriage, lowered his voice, and reported, "Misses, Guilin Restaurant's entrance has been blocked."

The disdain on Miss Yuan's face was wiped clean. She lifted the curtains and looked towards Guilin Restaurant's plain-looking entrance.

The entrance of Guilin Restaurant was swarming with people. There was even a long queue outside, filling the already narrow alley.

How could this be possible! How could a restaurant in such a desolate area have this many customers?!

Miss Su also found it strange. She instructed the retainer to ask around Guilin Restaurant's main entrance.

In a moment's time, that retainer returned.

He carried a doubtful and baffled expression as he reported, "Replying to Fifth Miss, all these people are here to eat at Guilin Restaurant."

"What!" Miss Yuan couldn't hold back her shout. Her sudden fuss over something so trivial earned her a glare from Miss Su.

Miss Su paused for a while before taking out two fine invitations from her sleeve and passing them to the retainer. "Give these two invitations to Guilin Restaurant's manager. Tell him that we're here to meet Honoured Lady Jinyi."

The retainer acknowledged the order and left.

Not too long later, the retainer led Manager Qin and a wise-looking senior servant over to the carriage.

Manager Qin personally ordered someone to bring House Ying's carriage over to the rear entrance. Once they entered the inner court meant for female guests, Senior Servant Zhong took over and led them to a small court within.

Senior Servant Zhong instructed the maidservants standing by in the courtyard to attend to House Ying's ladies and invited them to sit down. After doing so, she then stood by the side and respectfully said, "Misses, please wait a moment. Our Third Young Madam will be arriving shortly."

Miss Fu cast a measuring gaze over Senior Servant Zhong. Her eyes flickered, but she didn't speak in the end.

Miss Su thanked Senior Servant Zhong.

Meanwhile, Miss Yuan tsked in disapproval. "What? We're guests today. Is Sixth Sister really going to make us wait?"

Miss Su frowned. Senior Servant Zhong, on the other hand, stiffened and pressed her lips together before uttering an apology. "You're our Third Young Madam's esteemed guests. It's this old servant's fault for not inviting Third Young Madam over earlier."

Miss Yuan's expression changed and she glared at Senior Servant Zhong. She hadn't expected this old servant to be so tactless. She was actually trying to protect Chu Lian, even at this time. Despite being just a lowly menial servant, she actually dared to retort to her?

Miss Yuan was used to getting her way in the Ying Estate. She was about to scold Senior Servant Zhong on the spot. However, before she could say another word, she was held back by Miss Su and Miss Fu.

Even Miss Fu, who usually liked to sit back and watch the sparks fly, had tried to hold her back today. She immediately turned to Miss Fu with a glare.

However, Senior Servant Zhong wasn't at all flustered by Miss Yuan's temper. She bobbed towards the three young ladies and continued as if nothing had happened. "This old servant will personally prepare some tea and snacks for the young misses. Please make yourself at home."

Miss Yuan stared as Senior Servant Zhong walked right out of the courtyard. Then, she turned to her sisters with a face flushed red from frustration. "Fifth Sister, Ninth Sister, look at that! Is that how Sixth Sister treats her guests? Why didn't you let me scold her?"

Miss Su and Miss Fu weren't stupid. They weren't going to agree with Miss Yuan's blame towards Chu Lian.

Miss Su furrowed her brows and put on a stern expression. "Seventh Sister, that's enough from you! This isn't House Ying's second branch. Don't take things too far!"

Miss Fu sneered. "That's right, don't throw our dignity out together with yours!"

Miss Yuan had been in a bad mood ever since entering Guilin Restaurant and seeing the novel arrangements within the building. And now adding on to that, her two sisters were even scolding her. Her face turned red with anger. However, there was no one here to back her up. Furthermore, ever since that incident at Jinshi Pavilion, she had learned to behave a little more. She wrung her handkerchief and managed to resist the urge to retort again.

However, she had come here to see Chu Lian make a joke out of herself. How could Miss Yuan let her go so easily?

She shot a glance at one of her handmaids, who then quickly brought out a container of food from behind her.

In a moment, one of Guilin Restaurant's maidservants brought in freshly brewed tea.

Steam billowed up from the cups, carrying a specially dry, bitter smell. Although House Ying was in decline, a starving camel was still larger than a horse. They had been carefully raised from a young age, so they could recognise that this was a loose-leaf tea from North Fujian.

Although sencha brewing was now trending in the Great Wu Dynasty, there were many different types of tea, separated by the region they came from. North Fujian loose-leaf tea was one of the main branches of tea. Loose-leaf tea fell into two categories: normal and high-quality. However, if you weren't a tea enthusiast, it wasn't so easy to discern their quality.

The three ladies of House Ying could only distinguish what type of sencha this was. However, they couldn't really tell much else about it. If it had been the former 'Chu Lian' though, she might have been able to discern its quality.

Miss Yuan sniffed and rolled her eyes. "Sixth Sister's already opened a restaurant; how could she be so miserly as to serve her sisters this kind of tea?"

The maidservant who had brought in the tea was so embarrassed that her cheeks flushed red. She looked downwards, not daring to reply.

When Miss Yuan noticed the maidservant's fingers trembling, she felt a little better. She turned to her handmaid and ordered, "Brew some tea for me."

Her handmaid had a smug expression as she slowly brought out a fine porcelain container. She then purposely placed the porcelain container in front of Miss Su and Miss Fu to show it off a little.

Chapter 245: Becoming Famous (6)

Miss Su frowned. She could tell that this was a container of Zhengshan tea, one of the best quality sencha teas around. Every year, Old Duke Ying would only be able to get two containers of this fine tea. Last year, Old Duchess Ying had bestowed one of them to the second branch. She hadn't expected that this tea had somehow landed in Miss Yuan's hands.

How could Miss Su know of the reason behind this? Miss Yuan was so determined to disgrace Chu Lian today that she had prepared a lot more than just some fine tea. Furthermore, she hadn't pleaded with her parents to get this tea; she had just stolen it directly out of her father's study!

Miss Fu was shocked, but chose to remain quiet as she only pressed her lips together and watched on.

"Miss Yuan, you..." Miss Su was about to say something, but was interrupted by Miss Yuan before she could continue.

"What's wrong, Fifth Sister? Look at how poorly they're treating their guests. Why can't I bring my own tea to drink?"

How was this poor treatment? It was clearly Miss Yuan who was picking at the most trivial matters and making a mountain out of an anthill!

The handmaid turned to Guilin Restaurant's maidservants to request for some tea-brewing tools. However, another handmaid opened up the box of food. Without waiting for Senior Servant Zhong to come back with snacks, the second handmaid carefully brought out plate after plate of exquisite snacks and placed them on the table.

This time, even Miss Fu had joined Miss Su in staring at Miss Yuan with a strange look in her eyes.

They could tell that these snacks had come from De'an Restaurant. What's more, the plates had lotus flower patterns, so this was clearly the best assortment of snacks in the whole capital, as established by high-class society. Of course, it wasn't cheap. A small box of this assortment cost more than ten taels.

As young ladies of House Ying, their monthly allowances didn't even hit ten taels!

This time, Miss Yuan had really given an arm and a leg for her little ploy!

Despite her sisters’ weird looks, the corners of Miss Yuan's lips lifted into a smile instead.

"What are you doing, blanking out like that? Come and eat some! I got these snacks from De'an Restaurant. We don't get to eat these often in the estate."

Miss Su's expression turned even sterner. To Miss Yuan, she warned, "Seventh Sister, remember that we're here to give our congratulations and not for other motives."

Miss Yuan reached out and picked up a piece of osmanthus cake. "What are you thinking about, Fifth Sister? I haven't done anything at all, have I?"

Chu Lian was currently attending to Lady Yang and Royal Princess Duanjia in Earth Court 1 when a servant sent by Manager Qin came to report that her sisters from House Ying had arrived.

When Royal Princess Duanjia heard the report, she immediately rolled her eyes. "What have they come here for?"

Chu Lian smiled but didn't reply. She knew that Royal Princess Duanjia didn't like the ladies of House Ying. Lady Yang also wasn't someone who liked pandering to social niceties, so instead of bringing either of them with her, Chu Lian asked Royal Princess Duanjia to continue chatting with Lady Yang while she went over to attend to the ladies from her maiden house.

While on her way, she met Senior Servant Zhong.

Senior Servant Zhong hesitated for an instant, but she still reported the current situation in the courtyard to Chu Lian.

Chu Lian looked at the maidservants carrying boxes of snacks behind Senior Servant Zhong and smiled. "Although they could care less, we can't be remiss with our manners. Momo, send the snacks in anyway."

Although Senior Servant Zhong looked down upon the ladies of House Ying thanks to their behaviour, since Chu Lian had given the order, she couldn't disobey.

She bobbed in acknowledgement and followed after Chu Lian, leading the two maidservants along with her.

When Chu Lian noticed this, she was satisfied. Although He Sanlang had left these three servants to watch her, they were all useful to her in their own ways.

The moment Chu Lian entered the courtyard, one of the maidservants announced her arrival.

She entered the parlour of the little court and saw that her sisters had stood up to welcome her. However, only Miss Yuan had purposely stood further back to show off the items on the table.

Chu Lian took one glance at the table and inwardly sneered. She just knew that this Miss Yuan would be up to no good. If not for the sake of maintaining peace between the two houses tied by marriage, she really wouldn't have sent any invitations at all to House Ying.

Without waiting for Miss Su to speak, Miss Yuan had already started talking, her words dripping with sarcasm. "Sixth Sister must be really busy today. Even your own sisters have been cast off to one side. I wonder which esteemed guests Sixth Sister was attending to just now. Why didn't you introduce them to us so that we can make their acquaintance?"

The ladies here had heard a little about the friendship between Chu Lian and Prince Wei's Estate. In Miss Yuan's eyes, Chu Lian had gotten her Honoured Lady title thanks to her friendship with Royal Princess Duanjia.

How could she not be jealous?

Before Chu Lian had gotten married, she had been someone that Miss Yuan could bully any time she wanted. However, right after marrying into House Jing'an, Chu Lian’s fortunes had suddenly changed. Seeing her getting along so well in life only made Miss Yuan grit her teeth in anger.

Chu Lian gestured for her sisters to sit before addressing them with a warm smile. "I was accompanying Lady Yang and Royal Princess Duanjia earlier, so please pardon me for neglecting Fifth Sister, Seventh Sister, and Ninth Sister. However, Lady Yang doesn't like to interact with strangers, so I'm afraid I can't help with Seventh Sister's request."

Throughout Chu Lian’s entire address, Miss Yuan's expression had steadily turned even darker.

She hadn't thought that Chu Lian would reject her so directly.

However, she couldn't just force her to bring her to meet Lady Yang and Royal Princess Duanjia. Thus, Miss Yuan could only do her best to exercise her self-restraint. She cast her eyes down, and upon seeing the snacks on the table, she harrumphed coldly in her heart and an evil smile surfaced on her lips.

Chapter 246: Becoming Famous (7)

Even though Chu Lian wasn't too fond of this half-sister of hers, it was the grand opening of her restaurant today, so she couldn't really leave Miss Yuan hanging. She reached out and tugged at Miss Su's sleeve with a smile as she said, "It's about time now. Fifth Sister, Seventh Sister, Ninth Sister, the kitchen will send our meal over soon."

Miss Su quickly shot a glance at the table behind them before looking at Chu Lian again. When she noticed that Chu Lian's expression was calm, she inwardly heaved a sigh of relief before leading Chu Lian down to sit by the table.

As much as Miss Su and Miss Fu wanted to avoid creating any awkward situations, with Miss Yuan around, how could that be possible?

Miss Yuan sent another look at her handmaid. The handmaid then brought over a tray with the freshly brewed tea with an arrogant swagger to her walk. She kept her haughty expression even as she set a teacup in front of each of the ladies at the table.

Miss Yuan picked up the white porcelain teacup and lifted it to her nose. After a short sniff, she acted as if she was drunk on the smell of the tea. She then smiled and boastfully said, "Sixth Sister, I usually drink this Zhengshan tea at home, thanks to Grandfather and Grandmother's love for me. After getting used to it, I just can't drink any of this North Fujian loose-leaf tea of yours. I'm sure Sixth Sister has never had a chance to taste this Zhengshan tea before. Why don't you try some?"

Chu Lian stared at Miss Yuan with her big, bright eyes- eyes that seemed like they could see through everyone's hearts. Miss Yuan didn't dare to meet that gaze and hurriedly looked away. Even though she should have been pleased with herself, there was a mysterious sense of guilt in her heart.

Miss Su and Miss Fu stiffened in surprise and turned to Chu Lian with peculiar expressions.

Chu Lian innocently blinked. "Thank you for the offer, Seventh Sister, but unfortunately, I don't like sencha anymore."

She had absolutely zero interest towards sencha. Forget Zhengshan; even if it was the highest grade of tea straight from the imperial tribute itself, Chu Lian still wouldn’t be interested. Seventh Miss Chu Yuan could slowly savour her precious Zhengshan tea by herself.

Chu Lian's answer was completely out of Miss Yuan's expectations. She stared at Chu Lian with wide eyes, her true emotions completely revealed on her face despite her best efforts to hide them.

How could that be? Back in the Ying Estate, Chu Lian had taken utmost pride in her sencha-brewing skill. Even Old Duke Ying had praised her for it once. At every special occasion or family banquet, she would always offer to brew some sencha to show off her skills and earn the favour of the older members in their family. However, despite her skill in tea ceremony, she still wasn't able to get any high-quality tea in her hands. Miss Yuan always mocked her for that, even purposely wasting precious high-quality tea right in front of her eyes. 

Today, she had gotten this Zhengshan tea specifically to provoke her. How could Chu Lian say that she didn't like sencha anymore!

How could someone who had previously been so in love with sencha suddenly change her mind? Was that even possible?

All sorts of thoughts ran through Miss Yuan's head for a while before she finally managed to calm down. She found the perfect excuse for herself and decided that Chu Lian was just hiding her real emotions. She was probably going mad with envy and jealousy inside, and only acting as if nothing was wrong on the surface.

Saying that she didn't want to drink the tea was just to avoid feeling sad over it.

Hmph, she had already figured out exactly what that Chu Lian was thinking!

"Since Sixth Sister doesn't like it, then the three of us will drink it together."

After saying so, she took a sip right in front of Chu Lian, and even purposely started telling Miss Fu how sweet and aromatic the tea was and how it contained all sorts of flavours.

If Chu Lian knew that Miss Yuan's abnormal behaviour was meant to provoke her, she would have rolled her eyes directly at Miss Yuan.

Since she was so good at jumping to conclusions, why didn't she just jump straight up to heaven?

Conversely, Miss Su was the one who looked at Chu Lian with worry. "Sixth Sister, you used to love sencha so much. Why don't you like it anymore?"

Chu Lian reassured her with a smile. "I'm not sure why, but I just lost all liking for it. Now I prefer to drink honey water or fruit teas. Perhaps our tastebuds just change with time."

When Miss Su heard her explanation, she got lost a little in her thoughts. When she thought of how different Chu Lian's life had turned after marrying into House Jing'an, she didn't know whether she felt more sympathy or happiness for Chu Lian.

"Sixth Sister said it well. You'll be happy as long as you follow your heart."

Miss Yuan glanced at them from the corner of her eyes. Her mind was filled with hatred as she thought, 'Keep acting, just keep acting! I want to see how long Chu Lian can keep acting for!'

Chu Lian didn't have any energy to waste on guessing Miss Yuan's thoughts. There was so much on her plate. There was no need to bother with a small fry like Miss Yuan who only knew how to jump up and down in a temper. She wasn't the original 'Chu Lian' so Miss Yuan was just a stranger to her. As long as Miss Yuan didn't go overboard, she wouldn't use any of her limited time and energy to deal with her.

She wasn't the original 'Chu Lian' anymore and she didn't share any of her past likes. If she suddenly changed all at once, it might draw unnecessary attention, so why not remind her maiden family bit by bit that she was slowly starting to change? She was no longer that Chu Lian who stayed hidden in the Ying Estate.

Telling them that she no longer liked sencha was just the start.

She believed that Miss Su would remember her words. As long as Miss Su knew this, Madam Rong would naturally find out about it as well, and if Madam Rong knew, then so did the entire Ying Estate.

Chapter 247: Becoming Famous (8)

When Miss Yuan saw that Miss Su was chatting happily with Chu Lian, her hands curled into fists. She took in a deep breath and purposely picked up one of the white square snacks on the table. With a voice a little louder than usual, she then said, "This white snow cake from De'an Restaurant matches this Zhengshan so well! I heard Grandmother say that De'an Restaurant's confections are just as good as the ones in the palace!"

She then looked over to Chu Lian.

Chu Lian waved over the maidservants behind her who were still carrying the boxes of snacks. "Fifth Sister, Seventh Sister, Ninth Sister, would you like to try the confections from my Guilin Restaurant?"

Without waiting for Miss Su to reply, Miss Yuan cut in again, harrumphing.

"Sixth Sister, aren't you overestimating yourself? You've just opened this restaurant and you don't have any secret recipes. How could your confections be better than De'an Restaurant's? Even if you make them look pretty, that's just deceiving people. Sixth Sister, you should just pack these up so you don't dirty other people's eyes."

Miss Yuan had gone overboard with her words. These were just some confections, how could they possibly 'dirty people's eyes'?

Miss Su shot a fierce glare towards Miss Yuan and quickly made to reassure Chu Lian. "Sixth Sister, don't listen to her nonsense! Her personality has always been like this ever since she was little, and I'm sure you know that too. Don't take her words to heart. Bring out your confections, I want to try them!"

Chu Lian smiled at Miss Su first before looking at Miss Yuan. "If you don't like my confections, then you don't have to eat them, Seventh Sister."

"Hmph, I wouldn't eat them even if you gave them to me! Let me tell you, I couldn't care less about your snacks, and I'm not going to eat a single bit of the banquet later!"

Misses Su and Fu were already stunned. Who could have expected the two ladies from the second branch to start fighting right in front of them?

Chu Lian tilted her head as she looked at Miss Yuan without much change in expression. She only said, "Seventh Sister is a guest here at my Guilin Restaurant. Of course Seventh Sister is free to do as she likes."

After saying so, without a second look at Miss Yuan, she turned to instruct the maidservants on arranging the trays of snacks on the table.

Multi-coloured round little sponge cakes, steamed vermicelli rolls, osmanthus chestnut biscuits, specially made heart-shaped jujube paste cakes... Various types of snacks were placed in porcelain dishes of a variety of different shapes. They looked like miniature art pieces meant for only for admiring: not to be touched, let alone to be eaten.

Each of the confections were made to be about the size of a quail egg, just about enough for two bites, and each tray contained just three or four pieces. That was just enough for them to have something to snack on with the tea and still have room to enjoy the banquet later on.

A light fragrance drifted up from the exquisite, elegant pastries. They were placed right next to the ones from De'an Restaurant.

As long as you don't compare things, there's no harm done. De'an Restaurant's confections looked quite beautiful until they were set right next to Guilin Restaurant's. They seemed like fine delicacies at first, but now they seemed like a poor man's fare.

The contrast was too great to ignore. As blind as Miss Yuan was, she could also tell that De'an Restaurant's confections just couldn't be compared to Guilin Restaurant's.

Miss Fu let out a gasp of shock. "Sixth Sister, these confections are so beautiful!"

"Have a taste!"

After they placed the round sponge cakes into their mouths, they could feel the soft and sticky texture of the cake as its unique aroma enveloped their tongues. It wasn't too sweet and even carried a slight bitterness, almost like tea. Miss Su and Miss Fu's eyes widened in surprise.

Even the normally steady Miss Su's face had a mixed expression of shock and enjoyment.

Although Miss Fu carried hidden motives, she was still a young girl. When she found something she liked, she wouldn't conceal her happiness.

"Sixth Sister, what is this one called? It's so tasty!"

Chu Lian pointed at each of the confections and gave a simple introduction of each one.

Miss Yuan stared at Miss Su and Miss Fu in disbelief. She ground her teeth in frustration as her gaze landed upon the confections on the table. Although she was about to explode from the pent up emotions in her heart, saliva pooled in her mouth. If not for those words she had said earlier, she would already have grabbed a piece to try for herself and see exactly how tasty these confections were.

Hidden under her broad sleeves, Miss Yuan's right hand gathered into a fist. The satisfied expressions of Miss Su and Miss Fu as they ate the confections had become the greatest ridicule to her. She reached out with one hand, seemingly headed towards the tray of Guilin Restaurant's confections- but she turned and picked up a confection from De'an Restaurant's tray instead.

When she placed the white snow cake in her mouth, she could no longer taste the same feeling of sweetness and satisfaction.

Chu Lian noticed all of her actions, but didn't say anything. This was what Chu Yuan decided for herself, and she couldn't blame anyone else. Furthermore, the only consequence was that Chu Yuan wouldn't be able to eat anything from her Guilin Restaurant. That couldn't be counted as any sort of punishment.

After fifteen minutes, the trays of confections were cleared away by the maidservants. Out of sight, out of mind. Miss Yuan's stiff expression loosened a little. However, before she could take a moment's respite, Chu Lian had already ordered Senior Servant Zhong to bring in the banquet.

It was then that Chu Yuan realised her torture had just begun, thanks to her presumptuous actions.

Chu Lian couldn't continue accompanying her sisters from House Ying alone, since she still had to attend to Lady Yang and Royal Princess Duanjia. She also had to check in with the male guests in the outer court, since she was the real owner of Guilin Restaurant.

Miss Yuan still had some integrity in her. Right after Chu Lian left, she took the chance to escape and immediately left Guilin Restaurant. Miss Su and Miss Fu couldn't let her leave alone, so they notified Senior Servant Zhong. Leaving behind their apologies and gifts, they followed Miss Yuan back to the Ying Estate.

Miss Yuan had lost her bait along with the fish today. She had come to pick at Chu Lian, only to slap herself in the face and become a sorry sight.

Chapter 248: You Don't Have to Come Back Anymore (1)

Later that day, when Miss Yuan returned to the Ying Estate, Second Master Chu Qizheng found out that she had stolen his tea. The two of them started a fight and ended up bearing a grudge against each other.

When Chu Lian found out about this much later on, she merely acted like someone had told her a good joke.

Back at Guilin Restaurant, in the outer court meant for male guests, a group of nobles of various ages were sitting together at a table. The eldest there was Old Duke Zheng, while the youngest was the young Marquis Weiyuan. These people wouldn't normally mingle, but had been brought together today thanks to Chu Lian's amazing food.

All of them chose to simply enjoy the delicacies before them and avoid bringing up any topic related to politics.

After half a month of rest and eating the food carefully made by Mingyan, Old Duke Zheng was now hale and hearty like before. There was even a healthy flush on his nose, and he seemed full of energy.

Old Duke Zheng had recently fallen in love with spicy poached fish. He would order it for every meal back at the Zheng Estate. The snow white fish slices looked even more fresh and tender when floating in a pool of spicy red chilli oil. They looked so soft that they might even make him swallow his tongue by accident.

He had thought that poached fish slices were the highest level of gourmet food. However, it was only today at Guilin Restaurant that he discovered how wrong he was. When a manservant came in and placed a plate of grilled fish on the table, Old Duke Zheng's eyes almost popped out from surprise.

Guilin Restaurant used the most tender freshwater fish from the Min River to make this spicy grilled fish dish. The specially selected freshwater fish had to be at their freshest when killed. The fish's flesh had to remain soft and tender when cooked, while the outer layer of skin had to be grilled to a crispy brown. The natural oiliness was wrung out before grilling, so afterwards, all that was left was the soft, slippery flesh and the crispy fish skin. Then before eating, one could dip the grilled slices into the accompanying chilli sauce. After swallowing that down, they couldn't resist taking bite after bite after bite... Their chopsticks couldn't stop grabbing more fish and placing it in their mouths until the tip of their tongues turned numb. However, that only enhanced their enjoyment of this delicacy.

In addition to the fish was also a few side dishes, like fresh beansprouts, lettuce, roasted chestnuts, and other bright green leafy vegetables. These ordinary vegetables were cooked using the juices from the fish, so they had a different, addictive taste than what they were used to.

All the men seated in the parlour had completely forgotten to make small talk while gorging on the delicious food before them. When they finally set their chopsticks down, their noses had long since turned runny. Seeing this, the manservants behind them passed over some wet towels for them. Old Duke Zheng wiped away his snot in satisfaction. It was already autumn, but thanks to the spicy food they had just eaten, there was a fine layer of sweat on their foreheads. Even though this was a rather wretched appearance for a noble man, Old Duke Zheng still gave a shout of "Amazing!" in compliment of the food.

This made the manservants behind them sweat from embarrassment.

Marquis Weiyuan's tastebuds tended more towards light flavours; he couldn't really take spicy food. However, when he saw everyone's chopsticks reaching out for that steaming hot plate of grilled fish, he couldn't resist the temptation. He swallowed his saliva before reaching towards that square plate as well.

After eating two slices of grilled fish, Marquis Weiyuan was almost tearing up from the spiciness. His originally pink lips had also turned red and swollen, almost on the verge of turning into mini sausages.

While rubbing at his lips with one hand, he still couldn't help picking up more fish with the other. He had totally lost his usually noble, handsome bearing. Right now, he was just a greedy foodie with a voracious appetite without any care for his image.

The heads of the manservants sunk even lower. Each of them tried their best to sink into the floor in shame. Were these men really nobles? Look at the way they were fighting for food!

Mingyan had also followed Old Duke Zheng to Guilin Restaurant today. She wasn't actually allowed to be in the parlour with the nobles, so she hid behind a screen and peeked in.

The manservants in this parlour had all been personally chosen by Manager Qin for their quick wits. Old Duke Zheng had only brought a single maidservant today, so it was obvious that she wasn't just a normal maidservant. Thus, they simply closed one eye towards her peeping. Anyway, she was just watching from behind a screen and wasn't doing anything overboard.

Mingyan's face had turned pale while she was watching the nobles eat.

When her gaze landed on the large dining table in the middle of the parlour, she suddenly realised that she had never seen a single one of the dishes on the table before!

Mingyan's heart sank.

What was this? How had Third Young Madam come up with so many new dishes? Could it be that she had even more secret recipes in hand?

Lost in her shock, Mingyan leaned on one of the carved flowers on the screen's frame, almost causing it to fall over due to her weight. Luckily, a manservant standing nearby noticed it in time and quickly caught the screen.

The manservant then unhappily said, "Excuse me, miss. If you're not needed here, please leave this parlour. If there's an accident, we won't be able to make up for it even with our lives."

Mingyan finally recovered her senses and rationality. She hurriedly thanked the manservant and then stumbled her way out of the parlour with her thoughts in a mess.

Chapter 249: You Don't Have to Come Back Anymore (2)

Could it be that Third Young Madam had hidden most of her secret recipes from them when she was back at Songtao Court?

No, that was impossible. Third Young Madam never evaded them whenever she cooked. She even personally taught them her secret recipes. She wasn't silly, so she had earnestly remembered and picked up whatever Third Young Madam had taught them.

Third Young Madam was just a normal person; how could she have an endless store of secret recipes? Even if she had more than a few of them, after all this time, Mingyan should have finished learning all of them. Why were there suddenly even more dishes that she hadn't ever seen before?

Actually, Mingyan had only learned about twenty or so dishes. That number was just a drop in the ocean for the great foodie Chu Lian, who had eaten most of the foods on either side of the Yangtze River.

It was only Mingyan herself who had thought that she had learned all of the secret recipes that Third Young Madam's family had passed down.

Judging from the scene just now, Guilin Restaurant's dishes had clearly stolen away Old Duke Zheng's favour.

How was she going to gain a foothold in the Zheng Estate by Old Duke Zheng's side now?

As she continued to think, Mingyan's mood worsened. She wasn't satisfied. She had already bravely taken the first step away from Chu Lian. She definitely wasn't going to return.

She paced about in the corridor outside the parlour, the handkerchief in her hands already wrung into knots. Finally, she made a decision and quickly strode out of the courtyard.

She asked directions from a manservant before moving quickly towards the kitchen. However, before she could enter, she was blocked by a tall server guarding the kitchen.

"Miss, please stop there. Outsiders are not allowed in Guilin Restaurant's kitchen."

Mingyan lowered her head and trembled imperceptibly. In the next moment, she had already made up her mind. Mingyan raised her head and met the server's sharp gaze. Then, she declared, "I'm Third Young Madam's handmaid and I've come here under her orders to handle some affairs in the kitchen. How dare you stop me!"

The originally confident server froze for a moment and was at a loss for what to do when a familiar voice sounded from behind Mingyan. "Ah-zhong, go inside and help. Leave this to me."

The speaker was Xiyan. Xiyan often came to Guilin Restaurant to teach the cooks new dishes, so the staff here were all familiar with her.

The server called Ah-zhong immediately saluted to Xiyan before entering the kitchen.

Mingyan's body was rooted to the spot. She hadn't expected Xiyan to come to the kitchen at this time.

However, her next thought calmed her down. She wasn't doing anything against her conscience here. Furthermore, while serving Old Duke Zheng, he didn't treat her as a maidservant at all. Even if she claimed to be Old Duke Zheng's granddaughter, others might believe it. Her current status was higher than Xiyan's, so she could hold her head high and keep her back straight.

"Miss Mingyan, you've been taking care of His Grace all this time. How could I not have noticed when Third Young Madam sent you some orders?" Xiyan mocked.

This Mingyan seemed honest enough before when they still spent day after day working beside one another. Who could have thought that she would have such a disloyal heart? She even tried to fake Third Young Madam's orders. If she really entered the kitchen, who knew what kind of disaster might occur?

Today was Guilin Restaurant's first banquet. It was an extremely important day, and there was no room for mistakes.

Mingyan could sense Xiyan's distance in her tone.

She frowned and scolded Xiyan in her heart. However, she still forced a smile on her face.

She walked over to Xiyan's side and said, "Sister Xiyan, you've mistaken me. I just noticed that the dishes that Guilin Restaurant brought out today were all new, so I wanted to come over and broaden my horizons a little. I didn't have any other intentions."

Xiyan tugged her arm away from Mingyan's hold and looked at her with a cold expression. "You had better not have any other intentions. If there's nothing, you should go back to His Grace's side. Guilin Restaurant's dishes are all made from secret recipes, so the kitchen isn’t a place for outsiders to enter."

There was no courtesy left in Xiyan's very direct words. She wasn't someone who liked to beat around the bush anyway. Furthermore, this Mingyan was annoying, so Xiyan just spoke however she liked.

Mingyan couldn't hold the smile on her face any longer. She stomped her foot in rage. "Sister Xiyan, what do you mean by that? You're treating me as an outsider? Even when Third Young Madam was cooking back in the estate, she never minded letting me watch!"

"That was because you were still Third Young Madam's handmaid back then. You were someone who served Third Young Madam. However, your current master is Duke Zheng. Only whenever you start serving Third Young Madam again is when everything will be as before."

After throwing down these words, Xiyan couldn't be bothered to continue talking to this ingrate. She quickly turned and entered the kitchen, leaving just the sight of her back for Mingyan.

Mingyan glared at the kitchen door for a long moment. However, in the end, she could only spit at the door and stomp her foot once more before leaving.

Following that, Mingyan tried searching for Jingyan and Fuyan. However, they were currently serving by Chu Lian's side, so she wasn't able to meet them.

With an uneasy and impatient heart, Mingyan returned to wait outside the parlour with tumultuous feelings.

Right as she reached the entrance of the parlour, she could hear Old Duke Zheng's booming voice from within. After a moment of hesitation, she walked forward and came even closer to the parlour.

"Jinyi, it's good that you opened this restaurant. This old man will have a place to eat from now on." That was Old Duke Zheng's voice, brimming full of undisguised joy.

"Then Guilin Restaurant will be depending on Old Duke Zheng from now on!" Chu Lian's voice was uniquely gentle and bright, very pleasing to the ear.

"Oh yes; these few days, I've been recovering well all thanks to the maidservant you left in my estate. Her skills aren't bad at all. However, my body's almost fully recovered and I can't keep your personal handmaid away from you. Why don't you send someone to take her back today?" 

Chu Lian blinked and smiled. "It seems like Mingyan has gotten Your Grace's favour. This junior has enough servants. Since Your Grace likes her skills, there's no need to send her back. This junior will send that girl's contract over to the estate some other day. That girl has learned quite a few of my secret recipes after all. Your Grace, you have to accept this present from your humble junior."

Chapter 250: Aftermath of Becoming Famous (1)

What? Third Young Madam wanted to give her away to the Zheng Estate?

Mingyan's eyes almost popped out in shock and disbelief.

Taking the initiative to abandon someone and getting abandoned were completely different matters.

Old Duke Zheng looked at Chu Lian with a thought-provoking expression.

He had been involved in politics for many years, so he could see the real reason behind Chu Lian's actions without much effort. He thought that Chu Lian would feel awkward or ashamed under his stare, but unexpectedly, there wasn't even the slightest hint of a blush on her face. Her eyes remained bright and clear, even reflecting some degree of amusement. When their gazes met, it was he who felt uneasy first.

After freezing for a moment, Old Duke Zheng burst out into laughter. "Fine. Since it's a token of Jinyi's regard, this old man will accept it!"

Chu Lian bobbed slightly towards Old Duke Zheng. "Mingyan is blessed to be able to take care of Your Grace."

"Alright, child. There's no need for all those wishy-washy pleasantries at my age. If that girl serves me sincerely, then I'll treat her fairly. Now, Jinyi, you'll have to leave a small court for me here at your new restaurant."

Chu Lian smiled and agreed to it with a nod.

Marquis Weiyuan wanted to ask Chu Lian for a court here as well, but unfortunately, with Old Duke Zheng sitting at the same table, he didn't dare to speak up. He could only scratch his ear and wait for a chance to ask He Dalang later instead.

While the people inside the parlour were chatting away warmly, Mingyan was slowly freezing over outside.

She was really going to be one of the servants of the Zheng Estate from now on.

When she thought back to the past few months at Songtao Court, they didn't seem real now.

Mingyan pressed her lips together and raised her head. The glint in her eyes shone with resolution. This was the road she had chosen for herself and there was no longer any space to retreat! Compared to living in that small courtyard back in the Jing'an Estate and serving a living widow, why not try her luck in the Zheng Estate? She still had Third Young Madam's secret recipes anyway!

Once she gained a foothold in the Zheng Estate, she would be able to stand up straight in front of Third Young Madam in the future. She was going to make sure that Third Young Madam regretted abandoning her today!

A trace of hatred flashed across Mingyan's eyes.

After getting rid of a burden, Chu Lian felt refreshed. She returned to Earth Court 1 accompanied by Wenqing and Wenlan.

The days of an empty main hall and deserted entrance were gone. A huge crowd was gathered outside Guilin Restaurant's plain entrance, drawing a striking comparison with the past. If not for the servers constantly reassuring the crowd outside, the customers would all have charged into the restaurant by now.

The thirty lucky customers who had drawn the winning lots had already been ushered in and given seats.

The servers were shouting in a lively manner as they passed back and forth between the tables and served up food. Four cold dishes and eight hot ones, together with one soup, were all placed on the tables in just a few moments.

There were thirteen dishes representing the Thirteen Great Guardians for an auspicious opening.

This was the first time most of the common folk had seen such a luxurious spread for a banquet.

There were all sorts of cooking methods represented by at least one dish on the table: steaming, boiling, frying, and even grilling. Two dishes drew everyone's attention: a large plate of poached fish swimming in chilli oil and a plate of golden brown, crispy fried chicken.

The spicy fish dish was extremely new to the commoners, so the servers gave a short introduction when it was served.

De'an Restaurant's Mr Wang loved hunting for and trying out new dishes. As he listened to the server introducing this strange-looking dish, his eyes almost popped out of his head.

On the way here to Guilin Restaurant, he had already gotten one of his servers to investigate the owner of this restaurant.

It was one of House Jing'an's businesses, but it wasn't clear who the real owner was. However, his server had mentioned spotting House Ying's carriage outside just now, so Mr Wang had a good guess as to who the owner was.

Looking again at this table of novel dishes, Mr Wang was ninety percent certain that it was that person.

He had heard about the incident with the longevity peach buns at the Dingyuan Estate. Since he had been the one to make those longevity peach buns, it wasn't weird at all that he knew about what happened then.

He had always wanted to meet this Third Young Madam of House Jing'an- that is, the current Honoured Lady Jinyi. If all these brand new dishes had come from that Honoured Lady, then there was nothing unjust about this whole situation. He would willingly admit his loss.

Mr Wang reached out and grabbed a piece of poached fish with his chopsticks. Chu Lian had been afraid that the people in this era wouldn't be accustomed to eating spicy flavours, so she had prepared the chillis accordingly. After drying the chillis, they wouldn't be as spicy when used in cooking. There was only a mild spicy taste to the fish, but that was already enough to shock all the foodies present.

The snow white fish slices were smooth and tender. They practically melted in the mouth without any chewing required and carried the faint fragrance of chilli. It was very appetising.

Mr Wang's eyes widened as he savoured this new sensation. He couldn't wait to try all the other dishes. As he tried each and every one, the pleasant surprise in his eyes only grew brighter. By the time he had tasted all the dishes on the table at least once, he had already lost all traces of his previous calm.

Amazing! Amazing! Who could have known that such normal ingredients could bring out such an addictive taste? He was starting to believe that Guilin Restaurant could really live up to its reputation.

The boasts that Manager Qin had made earlier to attract the attention of the crowd weren't too exaggerated at all. He believed that the name of this old restaurant that had been hidden for more than ten years in the old west market would be spread all across the capital by tomorrow.