She hurriedly turned around and saw the prince staring at her with a fierce expression, which seemed strange. "Of course I'm going home?"

"This gentleman, from now on you don't need to go back. Just stay at my residence and cook. I'll reward you."

"A reward?" Xu Yuehuai revealed a greedy smile. "How much?"

Prince Anping said, "Five hundred taels."

Xu Yuehuai wished she could pinch his philtrum.

In the afternoon, after Xu Yuehuai's repeated pleas, they finally returned to Chun San Niang's inn. The news from the soldiers in the Prince's mansion came too late, causing A Qi and Zhou Wan to be on tenterhooks.

Now that they see Xu Yuehuai returning in high spirits, they all rush to get closer.

"It's good to see you back. We were all so worried." Zhou Wan was the first to approach.

Zhou Wan grasped Xu Yuehuai's hand, offering words of comfort and concern.

Xu Yuehua smiled sweetly, "Even if the sky falls, it's alright. Well, I'm back safe and sound, so don't worry. I even brought some rewards for you."

Xu Yuehuai gave the silver to everyone, and the rest to Zhou Wan.

Zhou Wan frowned. "The gates of noble families are like the sea; we should hide and avoid them if we can. Let's find a place to stay now."

Xu Yuehuai sighed, "The prince hired me as the head chef of the prince's residence, so I'm afraid I won't be able to go elsewhere for a while."

The group looked at each other in bewilderment.

Chun San Niang was filled with shame and felt so embarrassed that she wanted to disappear. She burst into tears and collapsed to the ground, saying, "Miss Xu, it's all my fault. I've ruined you."

"How did you harm me?" Xu Yuehuai laughed as she tossed the money pouch into the air. "Didn't I actually turn misfortune into blessing? Look, this is five hundred taels of silver, real gold and silver, hahaha."

"Feel sorry."

Chun San Niang insisted on kneeling before Xu Yuehuai, saying, "You helped our whole family."

"No, no."

The next day, Xu Yuehuai was on her way to the Prince's Mansion when she saw Qi Guze just as she crossed Fengtian Street. She quickly signaled to stop, and Qi Guze also saw Xu Yuehuai.

"Congratulations, congratulations on your successful start," Qi Guze said, already fully aware of Xu Yuehuai's situation. He clasped his hands in congratulations, leaving Xu Yuehuai with no way to keep him in suspense.

He looked completely indifferent. "Where's Brother Qi? What are you doing?"

"We'll patrol the area and see if there are any villains in the capital."

See you later.

Xu Yuehuai left with a smile.

Qi Guze looked at this quirky and carefree girl and was momentarily speechless. Tie Xiong behind him clicked his tongue, "How long does Your Highness intend to keep this a secret?"

“She doesn’t know,” Qi Guze said meaningfully, “This may not be a bad thing for her.”

Meanwhile, Xu Yuehuai had already entered the kitchen alone.

Those who treated her coldly or ignored her yesterday are now fawning over her.

“Miss Xu, please teach me some of your unique skills.”

"The saying goes, 'One trick is all you need to get by.' Could you teach me one or two tricks?"

"Sure, sure."

In Xu Yuehuai's view, technology must be discussed and explored.

She selflessly shared the detailed steps of the daily recipes, and everyone eagerly followed suit. Before long, the food was ready, and Xu Yuehuai delivered the food to the inner room.

Prince Anping hadn't left yet; he sat beside the bed, looking at the pitiful little princess.

"You scared your old man to death! If you don't get better soon, I'll really go on a killing spree."

"My health was not good to begin with, but it is gradually improving now. If it is like this on ordinary days, it is even more terrible now that I am seriously ill, but Father, please don't worry."

Prince Anping looked distressed and touched his temples. “Since you fell ill, I have been exhausted, both physically and mentally, and now I look much older.”

Anning could naturally see the white hair shining at her father's temples. She sobbed and hurriedly tried to kneel down, but fortunately Xu Yuehuai arrived quickly and helped Anning up.

"Grandma, you're as thin as a sheet of paper. Don't do this all of a sudden. Get up." Xu Yuehuai's arrival had disrupted their happy family reunion.

But Xu Yuehuai also brought a refreshing and delicious flavor.

"Oh my!" The young princess immediately beamed, almost jumping for joy. "What did you prepare for me to eat today, Miss Xu?"

"This is it, the spicy diced chicken from that old man."

Spicy chicken is a very popular dish in Sichuan cuisine, but it is also known for its strong flavor. The young princess had just recovered from a serious illness and her mouth was bitter, so she naturally needed to find something with a strong flavor to adjust her taste.

Seeing that the spicy chicken Xu Yuehuai brought was sprinkled with fragrant and crunchy white sesame seeds, and also had bright red bell peppers and bird's eye chilies, the girl's appetite increased, and she immediately started eating it with gusto.

In the past three days, Prince Anping has visited even more frequently, and every time he comes, he praises Xu Yuehuai whenever he sees her.

This praise is not just verbal, but also includes behavioral commendation.

Xu Yuehuai was rewarded almost every day: three hundred taels today, five hundred taels tomorrow, and red coral the day after.

Xu Yuehuai beamed with joy.

That afternoon, Xu Yuehuai returned to the inn excitedly with the silver, only to find it surrounded as soon as she arrived at the door. Accustomed to natural disasters and man-made calamities, her heart leaped into her throat at that moment.

The crowd completely surrounded the entrance to the inn.

Everyone was noisily exchanging ideas, each person chiming in with their own words.

Xu Yuehuai was shocked and pushed the crowd aside, saying, "Make way, please make way."

Someone noticed that Xu Yuehuai had arrived, and the human wall was activated, allowing her to reach the door.

Instead, they saw a man carrying a black flag. The man held the flag arrogantly, smiling coldly. The flag had the words "A Bao Lou" written on it.

Xu Yuehuai, unaware of the situation, still wanted to go inside.

Inside the room, Chun San Niang and her husband were confronting a fierce-looking man.

The man had a large head, a thick neck, and a robust build; he was indeed a big, burly man.

The man flashed his gold teeth and said, "With your skills, you might as well go farm. Are you trying to embarrass yourselves in the capital? On this Vermilion Bird Street, only my A Bao Lou is second to none. Everyone else, step aside. I order you to pack your bags and get out of here within three days."

Chun San Niang pointed angrily at the fat man.

“Zhang Baolong, you’ve gone too far. My business is not doing well and my skills are not good, that’s my problem. You have no right to deport me.”

"Then let the competition decide the outcome. Whether we go or stay, let fate decide."

The zombie, ever outspoken, declared, "Let's have a competition! Who's afraid of who?"

But they didn't even look at her.

Zhang Baolong moved to Zhuque Street three years ago. It is said that his ancestors were culinary masters. His great-grandmother was from the Imperial Kitchen. Although his grandfather and father never served the royal family in the palace, they were still extraordinary.

Both of them have their signature dishes.

This Abaolou is a time-honored brand that two generations of people have worked hard to build up.

Abao Restaurant is very large, with fifty-three cooks alone, not counting the assistants, kitchen helpers, and so on.