"Are you really not picky about food? Seeing your noble bearing, I'm afraid my humble dishes wouldn't suit your palate," Tao Wanniang said tactfully. Didn't the princess in the private room across the street find these dishes unpalatable?

"It's alright. You've opened this shop to welcome customers from all directions. Why would you be worried that your dishes won't be palatable?" Zhao Zhe retorted.

Tao Wanniang understood and politely withdrew. Since he had spoken so frankly, she didn't need to hold back.

Stir-fry a plate of cleaned snails, slice a plate of braised beef, and add some seasonal vegetables and a yam and pork rib soup. That should be enough for two people.

Tao Wanniang served the dishes herself. Wasn't this man here specifically for her?

"The dishes are here, please enjoy. Would you like some wine? Our wine comes from a family of winemakers. If you would like, I can warm a pot for you," Tao Wanniang asked casually.

"Sure, then I'll have to trouble Manager Tao." Zhao Zhe looked at the dishes. When did he start eating so simply?

Tao Wanniang went out to prepare the wine, and in the private room, the servants tasted the dishes for Zhao Zhe one by one.

"Master, the dish is delicious, there's nothing wrong with it."

“I recognize these, but what’s this?” Zhao Zhe asked, pointing to the stir-fried snails with soy sauce.

Li Yang was an imperial bodyguard. He thought for a moment, and the scene of the emperor sucking on snails came to mind. Finally, he shook his head and said, "Your Majesty, look at me eating this dish."

As he spoke, Li Yang started sucking on the food in front of Zhao Zhe, eating one after another.

Zhao Zhe understood, but seeing how Li Yang couldn't stop eating, he also got a little hungry and followed Li Yang's example, picking up his chopsticks as well.

"Why has the imperial chef never made this dish for me?" Zhao Zhe asked, enjoying his meal.

“Many street dishes are not worthy of being served in a formal setting,” Li Yang said, making an excuse.

Just then, Ling Dahu knocked on the door of the private room with the warmed wine. "Sir, your wine is ready."

"Come in!" Li Yang said.

As soon as Ling Dahu entered the private room, Zhao Zhe and Li Yang looked him up and down again.

"Sir, here's your wine." Ling Dahu felt something was off, but still said respectfully.

"What's your name?" Zhao Zhe asked.

"My name is Ling Dahu," Ling Dahu asked truthfully, somewhat puzzled. "My younger brother's name is Ling Dapeng, why?"

Zhao Zhe smiled and said, "It's nothing. I just think you look a lot like someone I know."

"Oh, Mother said that the world is a big place with many wonders. It is common for people to have the same name and look alike."

“Your mother is right, go ahead and get busy!” Zhao Zhe said. After Ling Dahu left, he couldn’t help but tease, “Your eyebrows and eyes do have the shadow of Ling Yunzhou.”

"What do you think I should do about this? My elder sister has been waiting for ten years." Zhao Zhe said with a half-smile, looking at the dishes on the table, and happily picked up his chopsticks.

After Li Yang tasted the wine for Zhao Zhe, he stood behind Zhao Zhe without saying a word.

Tao Wanniang was still busy in the kitchen when she heard Ling Dapeng say that the princess was in a private room and that she needed to go there. She was very helpless, but she had no choice but to go.

When the princess saw Tao Wanniang, she took a second look. Her hair and face were shiny with oil, and she smelled of cooking oil. How could such a woman compare to herself?

"Tao, this is the money for the meal. I am not without compassion. You have raised two sons for the General. Even if you have not made great contributions, you have still worked hard. I still hope that you can be reunited as a family."

“Your Highness, you are truly a refugee. I have been living a very comfortable life and really don’t want to go on like this! Um… Your Highness is so dignified and kind. Why don’t you ask me for a divorce agreement? Last time, when I asked for money, the General was furious and scared me to death.”

Tao Wanniang said with a bitter face, "At my age, money is much more reliable than men!"

The princess looked at Tao Wanniang's poor and shabby appearance with disdain, thinking it was good that she was greedy for money.

“The General is a man of great loyalty and righteousness. If you insist on this, I will not force you.” The Princess sighed in the end. “Tao, think it over again.”

"No need, no need, just give me the money." Tao Wanniang waved her hand directly and said, "For a woman of my age, love and romance are all meaningless. I have sons and grandsons, and I won't have any problem taking care of myself in my old age. As long as I have money, I'll do anything!"

"Vulgar!" the princess thought to herself with disdain. Her face was covered by a veil, so no one could see her expression, but the maid beside her was already laughing out loud.

"Let's go," the eldest princess said, standing up.

Tao Wanniang accepted the meal payment promptly—one hundred taels. Even if it was an insult to her, it didn't matter; she wouldn't mind if such insults came a few more times!

"Princess, please take care." Tao Wanniang said happily as she put the money away.

Princess Chang saw all this and felt that Tao Wanniang was vulgar and unbearable. How could such a woman be allowed to enter the general's mansion?

Just as the princess stepped out of the private room, Li Yang also came out from across the room; he was looking for Tao Wanniang.

When the two people met, Li Yang was stunned. The princess was also stunned. Just as she was about to speak, she suddenly realized that the person in the room might be there too.

Li Yang shook his head, his meaning clear. The princess was taken aback, then nodded.

Tao Wanniang, standing nearby, observed everything. This person knew the Princess, and even received a meaningful glance from her; clearly, he was of high status. And among those people…

Tao Wanniang pretended to lower her head and touch the silver note, looking quite pleased.

"Manager Tao, my young master invites you," Li Yang said immediately upon seeing Tao Wanniang.

"Oh, they're here, Da Hu. See these distinguished guests out." Tao Wanniang immediately responded, stuffing the silver notes into her bosom before following Li Yang into the private room.

The princess didn't linger; she glanced back once and then left.

"Manager Tao, your dishes are indeed excellent. Here is the payment." On the table was a silver note. Tao Wanniang glanced at it and immediately said, "Sir, this meal is only two taels of silver. This is... too much."

Screws aren't expensive, only beef is a bit pricey. This table isn't like the Princess's big table.

"It's nothing. The extra lunchboxes are a reward from me. It's really not easy for a woman like you to work so hard," Zhao Zhe said. "It's just a little disappointing that there aren't any pastries like last time."

"These pastries are for my own consumption. The shop doesn't keep any on hand. If you would like to let me know next time, I will prepare some," Tao Wanniang said politely. She didn't know the man's identity, but she guessed that he might have some connection with the Princess, or perhaps with Ling Yunzhou. Could it be that he came to see what Ling Yunzhou's first wife was like?

Zhao Zhe listened to Tao Wanniang's cheerful expression, his eyes glancing repeatedly at the silver notes. He was overjoyed, wondering if she was simply thrilled to see so much money.

"Manager Tao, your cooking skills are so amazing, did you have a famous chef as your mentor?" Zhao Zhe asked casually.

"Is it good? I don't know. We fled here during a famine. We don't know much else, but we know that good food attracts customers, and if customers like it, we can make money," Tao Wanniang chuckled. "Isn't the point of running a restaurant to make money?"

There was nothing wrong with what he said. Zhao Zhe was stunned for a moment, but then he smiled.

"Manager Tao is such an honest man!"