Zhou Caidie and Zhang Meiren, who were searching for Jiang Qianqian downstairs, heard the commotion upstairs and immediately ran upstairs as if they had been electrocuted.
"I'm sorry, my two masters, I've offended your eyes."
The head palace maid curtsied to Zhou Caidie and Consort Zhang.
The two people Zhou Caidie and Zhang Meiren met after exercising were palace maids, not Jiang Qianqian. Zhou Caidie's heart, which had been hanging in suspense, was finally at ease.
At the same time, doubts arose again in their minds: if Jiang Qianqian hadn't been framed, then where had the person gone? And why had Li Youran also disappeared...?
"Consort Zhang, I think this matter has gotten beyond our control. Why don't we report it to Her Majesty the Empress?"
Zhou Caidie panicked at the thought of her companions disappearing.
"Look how scared you are, we're perfectly fine."
Just then, Li Youran helped Jiang Qianqian sway as they walked towards Zhou Yingying.
"That's great, you two are safe and sound."
However, there wasn't much joy on Li Youran's face as she looked like she had survived a disaster.
"What just happened? Why does my head hurt so much..."
Jiang Qianqian then came to her senses, frowned, and held her head with her hand.
She felt a splitting headache, as if she had drunk a lot of alcohol, but she had only drunk a glass of fruit wine, so how could she have such a headache?
The four of them found a secluded place and told Jiang Qianqian the whole story.
"You audacious vixen, how dare you lay your hands on me!"
Jiang Qianqian gritted her teeth and said angrily, thinking to herself that she must tell her father and mother about this when she got back, and make them seek justice for her.
If Li Youran hadn't arrived in time, her innocence might have been in jeopardy.
"Don't rush this matter. The most important thing right now is Zhang Meiren, who is in the most danger here."
Upon hearing Li Youran's words, everyone turned to look at Zhang Meiren, who awkwardly twitched the corner of her mouth.
She was indeed quite unlucky to have gotten herself into this mess. The three young ladies were alright; after the flower viewing party ended today, they returned home safely, but she still had to navigate the inner palace.
"Alright, don't worry about me. I'm much better at surviving than you guys."
Seeing the deep affection and consideration shown to her by the three women, Zhang Meiren was deeply moved.
After discussing it, the four decided to return in batches to avoid arousing Consort Xian's suspicion.
Even as she sat in the carriage, Li Youran's heart pounded; this was the first time in her life she had experienced something like this.
"The emperor is so old, yet he still favors his concubine so much. The fate of the country is truly unpredictable."
The Second Prince's wife was very pleased that her younger sister had used her intelligence to help her friend avoid such a situation.
At the same time, she was also very worried about the fate of the country.
As a concubine, she had an affair with the imperial physician. The Second Prince's wife felt that this Consort Xian was not simple, and that the imperial physician might also be a spy sent from the Northern Frontier. After returning, she quickly ordered someone to find the Second Prince and tell him about this matter.
“You Ran, the reason why our Yun family has suffered this calamity is probably because the Emperor feels that the Second Prince’s power has become too strong these days and wants to be eliminated from the Second Prince’s fold. That’s why he’s targeting the Yun family.”
Yun Yingying lay on the table, looking very discouraged.
The Yun family's business has been very bad these past few days, especially the inn business.
"Hey, Yingying, have you ever thought that the Yun family's business is not doing well because the weather is hot and customers have no appetite?"
Li Youran awkwardly twitched the corner of her mouth and gave a stiff laugh.
"No way, the chefs in our Yun family are extremely skilled."
Yun Yingying preferred to believe that the emperor was trying to weaken the Yun family's power, which was why the business was not doing well, rather than believe that it was because her family's chef was not very good.
"Since you don't believe what I'm saying, then forget it."
Li Youran shrugged helplessly. There was nothing she could do; you could never wake someone who was pretending to be asleep.
"You Ran, you must not give up on me. I have made a promise with my grandfather that if I can improve the Yun family business within seven days, my father can inherit the Yun family's position."
As Yun Yingying spoke, she hurriedly grabbed Li Youran's arm and swayed it from side to side, acting coquettishly.
“If the Yun family’s business does not improve within seven days, my father will not be able to become a member of the family, and I will be homeless.”
Seeing Yun Ying's pitiful appearance, Li Youran couldn't bear to refuse, so he agreed to go with Yun Ying to the shop to see what was wrong with the business.
"Seven days..." Qian Youyou frowned and pursed her lips, looking distressed, kicking a small pebble on the side of the road as she walked.
"Don't rush, even if it's something important, we need to eat first." Yun Yingying pointed to Yingxiang Pavilion across the street and said, "Let's go eat at our own restaurant!"
"Okay." Qian Manman looked at the deserted Yingxiang Pavilion and felt another headache coming on.
The Yun family came from a landlord family. They were quite capable of farming and collecting rent, but they were not good at business. Otherwise, they wouldn't have been so easily outmaneuvered.
After entering the restaurant, Li Youran first went to the kitchen, asked the chef some questions, and then instructed the chef to serve a few of his signature dishes.
The head chef was filled with trepidation, but he used all his skills and soon prepared a table of dishes.
Because they use grains, vegetables, fruits, chickens, ducks, pigs, and fish grown on their own farm, each dish is served in a very large portion.
Affordable is a good thing, but large quantities make it less refined and more likely to make people get tired of it.
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