CHAPTER 152: CHAPTER 152 ACCOMPANYING (REQUEST FOR MONTHLY TICKETS)

Bang! Bang!

After a burst of firecrackers, Su Jin’s shop was officially completed.

The plaque personally conferred by the Emperor —

"World’s Best Charcoal."

Glistened brilliantly in the sunlight.

Many of the common people gathered to applaud and celebrate.

Prince NanAn chuckled, "Why do they seem even more excited than we are?"

They were eager for the shop to be finished soon, so they could laze around without care.

Now that it truly is completed, their hearts feel somewhat empty instead.

They’ve gotten used to the days of getting up early to hang around the tea stalls.

Xingxing said, "They think the girl’s shop really sells charcoal. These days, many have prepared charcoal to sell to the girl, and some families have so much that they can hardly store it all."

Su Jin, "...."

Xie Jingchen, "...."

Her shop doesn’t actually sell charcoal, you know.

Just the charcoal piled up at Duke Zhen’s Mansion is enough for her to use for years.

Su Jin felt a bit guilty.

However, she quickly dismissed her guilt.

Xingxing said, "They even said you weren’t thinking straight. It won’t be long before summer arrives, while others are selling ice, you’re selling charcoal."

Chu Shun and his group nearly held back internal injuries from laughing.

This honest maid, her words are so straightforward they could choke someone.

Su Jin could no longer face the excitement of the commoners, she turned around to enter the shop.

Chu Shun stopped her, saying, "It’s a mess inside. The backyard doesn’t even have any flowers or trees, it would only spoil your mood."

Prince NanAn said, "In about three to five days, the backyard will have a new look. You can then come and choose an auspicious day to officially open."

"Then let’s go back to the mansion," Xie Jingchen said.

He had just arrived, and wasn’t aware of Su Jin’s plan to host a dinner party.

Chu Shun put an arm around Xie Jingchen’s shoulder and said, "Sister-in-law is going to invite guests, I’m not fussy about what to eat, I’m more curious about who’s going to pay for it."

Su Jin, "...."

Chu Shun and the others have dined at every restaurant in the Capital City, those dishes rarely surprise them anymore, but the exploits of Marquis Dongxiang Mansion never cease to thrill them.

Xie Jingchen felt a twitch of black lines on his face.

How could it be that every time she invites guests, someone shows up to pay the bill?

The largest restaurant in the Capital is the Drunken Immortal Pavilion, it’s not far.

Su Jin and her group headed to the Drunken Immortal Pavilion.

The shopkeeper at the Drunken Immortal Pavilion saw it was Su Jin and her group, and greeted them with a wide smile.

Chu Shun was quite familiar with the shopkeeper of Drunken Immortal Pavilion and joked, "Don’t be so happy. Just because someone paid the bill last time doesn’t mean we won’t dine and dash this time."

The shopkeeper at Drunken Immortal Pavilion, "...."

"Heir of Marquis Jingguo, that’s a joke, the Eldest Young Madam of Duke Zhen’s Mansion isn’t that type of person. The private room upstairs is ready, and the food will be served shortly," the shopkeeper said with a smile.

A little waiter led the way in front.

After entering the private room, they had only drunk half a cup of tea when the little waiter brought in the dishes.

The speed was so fast that Prince NanAn was very displeased, "Your Drunken Immortal Pavilion went too far. Normally when we come for a meal and are told it’ll be served soon, we have to wait at least a little over two quarters of an hour. Today, why so quick?"

The little waiter smiled awkwardly, "You’ll know once you taste the food."

Chu Shun picked up his chopsticks, picked up a piece of braised spare ribs and put it in his mouth, saying, "This dish is not bad, much better than your previous chefs. Did you hire a new chef at Drunken Immortal Pavilion?"

The little waiter shook his head, "This was made by the chef of the Eldest Young Madam of Duke Zhen’s Mansion. Since she brought her own chef, naturally, we prioritized her."

Chu Shun, "...."

"No way, sister-in-law invited us but also brought her own chef?" Prince NanAn was stunned.

The Heir of Marquis Beining and the Eldest Young Master of Duke Dingguo looked at each other, equally astonished by this unconventional move.

Su Jin held her forehead and said, "Not brought, but happened to have."

Previously, when they left the palace, the two chefs and Xingxing had followed behind the carriage.

When they passed by the Drunken Immortal Pavilion, one of the imperial chefs was stopped by a little waiter from the Pavilion who, without a word, dragged him inside.

That imperial chef had dined at the Drunken Immortal Pavilion before entering the palace and had pointed out deficiencies in the dishes, leaving a deep impression on the little waiter.

The little waiter knew that he had become an imperial chef and thought, seeing him with a bundle, that he had made a mistake and been banished from the palace.

With such good culinary skills, the Drunken Immortal Pavilion certainly wanted to hire him to handle the wok.

The little waiter was pulling him along while shouting for the shopkeeper. Seeing that the chef was unwilling, the shopkeeper said, "Even if you won’t handle the wok for me here, you could at least help out for a day. Prince Zhou’s Mansion is hosting a banquet, and two head chefs were invited over, the restaurant business is booming, we can’t manage."

The imperial chef, feeling conflicted, had to tell them that the Emperor had bestowed them to the Eldest Young Madam of Duke Zhen’s Mansion.

The shopkeeper was so scared that a cold sweat ran down his back.

First, it was like snatching someone from a bandit, fearing Su Jin’s wrath; second, worrying Su Jin might open a restaurant, with two imperial chefs in charge, Drunken Immortal Pavilion’s business would surely plummet.

He looked at Su Jin.

Thinking he was asking to borrow the imperial chef, Su Jin said, "I will be dining here later, if your two chefs are willing, they can stay to help out for the day."

Thus, the two chefs agreed to stay and help.

Prince NanAn listened, filled with envy, jealousy, and resentment, "The Emperor actually allowed you to take two imperial chefs away."

He wouldn’t even dare mention it to the Emperor, such a difference it was.

Su Jin sipped her tea.

Xingxing said, "Originally, it was to choose one, but our girl’s vision was good. She picked the one who specialized in making desserts for the Emperor. Eunuch Fu said that chef couldn’t be chosen, and told our girl to pick another, even two would be fine, so the girl gave Eunuch Fu face."

Su Jin looked at Xie Jingchen and said, "Eunuch Fu said that Imperial Chef Li’s cooking skills were mediocre, and the Emperor had thought about chopping off his head several times but refrained. I’m a bit curious."

Xingxing nodded repeatedly.

She was curious too.

On the way out of the palace, she tried to ask the two chefs, but they wouldn’t say anything, making her all the more curious.

Xie Jingchen shook his head.

This matter he wasn’t aware of.

He was severely poisoned, rarely leaving Duke Zhen’s Mansion, let alone entering the palace.

"Actually, I know a bit about this," Prince NanAn said.

Su Jin turned her gaze to him.

Prince NanAn said, "This is a secret matter within the palace that few mention. I only know about it because I happened to hear my mother mention it."

"The Emperor once had a favored concubine, loved by thousands but unfortunately she had a short life and passed away early. However, the Emperor always kept her in his heart, and while she lived, her favorite thing to eat was the Haitang Cake made by Imperial Chef Li. For this reason, the Emperor tolerated him greatly."

"The bedroom where the favored concubine once lived has also become a forbidden palace, no one is allowed to step inside. After my mother’s repeated warnings, I even sneaked in to take a look once."

"...."

"You weren’t supposed to go, yet you still went?" The Eldest Young Master of Duke Dingguo twitched at the corners of his mouth.

"Young and foolish, I thought my mother, as usual, was deliberately inciting me to go. That time, I was almost beaten to death by my father," Prince NanAn said wistfully.

"...."

"What was inside that forbidden palace?" Chu Shun was curious.

"I don’t know, the Emperor happened to be inside, and just as I went in, Eunuch Fu found me and threw me out. Then he tattled on me to my father, making me suffer a harsh beating, and I never dared to go in again," Prince NanAn sighed.

"...."

To this day, Prince NanAn still feels wronged about that beating.

At least let him see what was inside Chaohua Palace, but he saw nothing and still got thrashed.

Xingxing recalled something and looked at Prince NanAn, asking, "Was that forbidden palace Chaohua Palace?"

"How do you, a little maid, know?" Prince NanAn was surprised.

"My madam told me," Xingxing said truthfully.

"...."

"The first time I went into the palace alone, Madam instructed both me and the girl that if the girl acted rashly and committed a mistake in the palace that even the Emperor couldn’t protect us from, we should run to Chaohua Palace. Apart from the Emperor, no one dares to go in there to seize us, and we should obediently wait there for Madam and the Marquis to come rescue us," Xingxing said.

"...."

"Madam also taught the girl that if the Emperor rebukes her and she feels wronged, she should faint. The Emperor is most afraid of people fainting," Xingxing said.