Chapter 45 Baohe Tower

News travels fastest in the inner palace. The Fourth Prince's Consort came out of Chengqian Palace carrying a string of rewards, but came out of Yonghe Palace empty-handed and looking disheveled. With such a stark contrast, who could resist gossiping?

Whether it was the Kangxi Emperor, the Crown Prince's faction, and the First Prince's faction who were concerned about Yinzhen's connection with the Tongjia clan, or the Eighth Prince and Thirteenth Prince who were simply worried about Yinzhen and were paying attention to Yonghe Palace, or even the Fourteenth Prince who was worried that his mother might do something wrong again, upon learning of Yixiu's behavior after entering the palace, they all couldn't help but sigh at the ruthlessness of the Uya clan.

When Lady Uya faced the questioning of the Fourteenth Prince and the reprimand of the Kangxi Emperor, she learned of the rumors circulating in the palace that everyone was saying she was an unkind and cold-hearted mother. Enraged, Lady Uya smashed all the teacups on the table to the ground.

"I really underestimated Yixiu. She even dared to scheme against me..." Uya was furious. She hadn't expected Yixiu to have the audacity to deliberately act disheveled when leaving the palace, using this as a pretext to plot against her.

Slumped into a chair, Lady Wuya struggled to suppress the hatred in her heart. If it weren't for Yinzhen, she wouldn't have been demoted from Consort to Noble Lady; without the demotion, where would Yixiu have gotten the audacity to scheme against her? Since that's the case, she shouldn't be blamed for causing Yinzhen further trouble.

"Zhu Xi, send a message to Longkodo..."

"Your Majesty..." Upon hearing this, Zhu Xi suddenly knelt down, her face pale with fear.

“What’s there to be afraid of? Who would find out after all these times?” Lady Wuya glanced at the timid Zhuxi, who was, after all, the only remaining loyal servant. She didn’t scold him too harshly. Filled with boundless hatred for Yinzhen, she disregarded everything else. “Yinzhen wants to climb up to the Tongjia clan, but I won’t give him that chance…”

Although she was unfamiliar with the politics of the previous dynasty, Lady Uya knew that Longkodo was the next successor of the Tongjia clan. If Longkodo didn't approve of Yinzhen, what difference would it make if Yinzhen changed the imperial genealogy? If she was in trouble, Yinzhen wouldn't be in trouble either!

...

There were many spies in the Prince's mansion. Yinzhen had discovered them beforehand, and Uya, who came from the Bannermen, had silently arranged for many people to join them.

Yinzhen did not replace them all. He purged some important positions under the guise of the "Rou Ze Incident," and implanted psychological suggestions into the rest, turning them into double agents without their knowledge.

Therefore, after Yixiu returned to the mansion, Yinzhen not only learned about what happened in the palace immediately, but also learned about Wuya's methods through the unusual activity in the mansion.

Judging from my memory, Qi Yuebin's character and methods were quite extraordinary. Since Lady Wuya was so ambitious, how could Yinzhen not create an opportunity for her? It would be interesting if her cleverness backfired.

Therefore, taking advantage of Yixiu's perceived injustice, Yinzhen took Yixiu out of the mansion for a tour, giving Wuya some room to maneuver.

Baohelou is a newly emerging restaurant in Beijing in recent years. Unlike the old-established restaurants, the dishes here are novel and rare, and are things that ordinary people cannot usually eat. There are even rumors that the head chef here was a former imperial chef.

So even with the high prices, it still attracted many diners. In particular, wealthy businessmen from other places, who had plenty of money and were willing to spend a lot of money to try the legendary imperial cuisine.

On the way, Yinzhen mentioned this restaurant to Yixiu. Seeing that Yixiu was interested, the group headed to Baohe Restaurant.

"Sir, please come in." The waiter had sharp eyes and could tell from the attire of Yinzhen and his entourage that they were extraordinary, so he quickly stepped forward to serve them.

"Do you have any private rooms here?" Su Peisheng stepped forward to stop him to avoid any disturbance.

"Yes, yes, I'll take you all upstairs." A white-bearded man with a slightly shrill voice suddenly appeared and stopped him. The waiter was startled; this man seemed to be a eunuch, and those who could employ eunuchs were likely members of the royal family. So the waiter bowed even more respectfully and led the group to the best private room on the second floor.

"Waiter, what are your signature dishes?"

Yinzhen led Yixiu to her seat. Only Su Peisheng and Jianqiu served them in the room, while two guards stood watch at the door. Su Peisheng quickly served tea and water to his two masters. Seeing how attentive the servants were, the waiter paid even more attention to Yinzhen and his entourage. Eager to impress Yinzhen with his question, the waiter bowed and replied with a smile, "To be honest, our Baohe Restaurant uses only the finest ingredients. Our head chef is truly a former imperial chef; every dish is a signature dish. We even prepare the Manchu Han Imperial Feast."

"Oh, you dare to say that. In that case, bring up a few dishes from the Manchu Han Imperial Feast." Yinzhen looked at the proud waiter, smiled slightly, and spoke somewhat unclearly.

The waiter was quick-witted and began to announce the menu to Yinzhen, "Alright, Your Excellency, how about we serve you two two bowls of bird's nest and shredded chicken soup, a dish of braised crucian carp tongue and bear paw, a dish of dried mutton slices, a serving of egg drop soup, a serving of assorted baked buns, a steamer of plum blossom buns, and three dishes of candied fruit?"

"It really does sound like a Manchu Han Imperial Feast, and the portion size is just right for the two of us. Come up here and let me take a look."

"Yes, rest assured, sir, I guarantee I will not let you down."

The waiter happily went off to serve the dishes, but Yixiu's brows furrowed involuntarily. This restaurant really could serve a Manchu Han Imperial Feast...

"Master..."

"It's alright, let's see." Yinzhen patted Yixiu's hand, indicating that she didn't need to worry, and Yixiu didn't say anything more.

Soon, the waiter brought up plates of exquisite dishes, which were exactly the same as those in the palace. Yixiu couldn't tell the difference at all. In fact, because they were freshly made, they tasted even more delicious than the cooled dishes at the palace banquet.

Yixiu hesitated, not daring to pick up her chopsticks, feeling annoyed. She should have known better than to mention this restaurant; she had only brought trouble upon herself.

"What are you standing there for? Try some!" Yinzhen seemed oblivious, picking up a piece of sliced ​​mutton with his chopsticks and placing it in Yixiu's bowl. Yixiu couldn't bear to refuse Yinzhen's kindness, so she picked up some mutton and put it in her mouth.

After chewing a few times, Yixiu couldn't help but close her eyes briefly. This was serious; the mutton was even of better quality than that in the palace. According to her, the "Manchu Han Imperial Feast" was a banquet only served when the emperor held a grand feast, and the last time she had eaten it was on the Empress Dowager's birthday. The mutton in this dish, "Wind-dried Lamb Slices," was a special tribute from Mongolia, meaning it was a tribute item.

In a restaurant, one can eat the original Manchu Han Imperial Feast and mutton that is even better than the tribute food. This is more than just overstepping one's bounds; it is clearly... Yixiu dared not think too deeply about it and could not be sure who was behind the restaurant.

Looking at the Prince beside her, and seeing his expressionless face as he put down his chopsticks, Yi Xiu knew he was angry. This matter was bound to have far-reaching implications, and it was beyond the ability of a mere woman from the inner quarters to resolve. Just as Yi Xiu was at a loss for what to do, a commotion suddenly arose at the door.

"Do you even know who I am? You dare to stop me?"

"Madam, Madam, there are already guests in this private room."

"What guest is more distinguished than me? Manager, you seem to have forgotten who your master is."

The woman's shrill voice rang out, and Yi Xiu couldn't help but frown in anger. It was the first time she had ever seen someone so unreasonable. Just as she was thinking of sending Jian Qiu out to deal with her, another unexpected incident occurred at the door.

"This private room is mine today. Guards, seize these people. I want to see who dares to stop me."

"Your Highness." Su Peisheng and Jianqiu immediately stepped in front of their two masters upon hearing the commotion at the door.

"No rush. We're right under the emperor's nose. I want to see which lady is so arrogant."

Before Yinzhen could finish speaking, the door to the private room was pushed open, and a flamboyant woman dressed in bright red, lavishly adorned with jewels and ornaments, swaggered in...