Chapter 72: The Third Princess
Jin Yizhuang explained with a hearty laugh.
"Don't worry, I'm just giving Madam Yu a heads-up. I've managed the Jin family's business for so many years, what kind of people haven't I seen? It's not impossible for some people to do anything for their own selfish desires. Didn't you also say that someone coveted her cooking skills and wanted to kill her? There are such audacious people in such a small county town. The world is so big, we must be on guard."
Yu Wan listened silently, feeling that what he said made sense and touched her heart.
Jin Yifei suggested, "Cousin, who exactly is this distinguished guest you're talking about? It seems that Grandmother values him very much."
Jin Yizhuang sighed, "Afei, it's not that your cousin doesn't want to tell you, it's just that I don't know either. The number of people in our entire Jin family who know the identity of that distinguished guest can be counted on two hands."
While the group was still talking, the kitchen staff had already brought the improved dishes to the table one by one.
The appearance is almost the same as before, except that the color is brighter.
Jin Yizhuang didn't have high hopes at first, but after taking a bite, his eyes lit up.
"A divine product! A divine product!" he exclaimed with ecstasy.
Seeing his praise, Jin Yifei tried it out of curiosity. The moment the food entered his mouth, he felt all his worries disappear. He had been in a bad mood for the past few days, but after taking this bite, all the gloom vanished.
"How could this be? It suddenly tastes so much better! Is it because of the added spices?"
But he immediately contradicted himself, noting that some dishes were spicy while others weren't. He couldn't summarize the changes in the dishes in a single sentence, but overall, the flavor of each dish had improved several levels, making them incredibly appetizing.
Yu Wan knew that her task was completed and breathed a sigh of relief.
All that's left is to wait for the arrival of that distinguished guest.
Three days later, the mysterious guest finally arrived. However, he did not come to the Jin family's residence, but instead stayed at a villa in the east of the city. It was said that he brought many guards, who guarded the villa closely, and people strictly checked everyone who came and went.
The Jin family arranged for someone to take care of the distinguished guest's food and lodging, but Xue Xiujun discovered the man's identity that very night.
"She is Princess Zhaohui, the third princess of the current dynasty, the emperor's daughter. It is said that this third princess has been a foodie since she was a child."
He Jing's eyes flashed, and he pursed his thin lips, saying nothing.
Xue Xiujun noticed his expression and smiled.
"I even overheard the Third Princess talking about General He while she was taking a bath."
He Jing glared at him fiercely.
Zhu Zhifeng was fiddling with her bottles and jars of cosmetics and asked without looking up,
"Muttering about General He while taking a bath? What does that mean? No, wait, how could you peep at a girl taking a bath! Shameless!"
Yu Wan wrote a letter beside her. She and Lord Zhu corresponded every three days. Lord Zhu would describe the current situation of the food court in detail, and would also ask for her opinion if any problems arose.
She didn't look up either, only keeping one ear open to listen to their conversation.
Xue Xiujun smiled mysteriously, "Am I going to investigate in secret, and yet I have to act like a gentleman? In any case, it seems that General He of our Jin Kingdom is the Third Princess's sweetheart. It is said that in the Third Princess's heart, food is number one, and General He is number two. When she heard that General He had disappeared, the Third Princess was so sad that she had to eat ten meals a day."
Zhu Zhifeng was startled, stopped what she was doing, and looked up at the person who had spoken.
"Ten meals? That means she doesn't eat much at each meal, right? I've heard that people born in the Year of the Phoenix have small appetites and can't eat much."
Xue Xiujun laughed and said, "Then you're wrong. This Third Princess can eat a lot. I can eat a lot, right? She can eat even more than me. I watched her finish a whole pork knuckle that big, then she ate two or three sea bass, and then she ate braised pig's trotters. There was a whole table of food."
He gestured as he spoke, describing it with a look of amazement.
Zhu Zhifeng exclaimed in surprise, "How can you eat so much? How big must your stomach be?"
Xue Xiujun laughed and said, "You wouldn't guess it. She has a graceful figure, an elegant demeanor, and even looks a bit frail. Most people really wouldn't be able to tell that someone with such a small frame can eat so much."
Zhu Zhifeng laughed and said, "Then she's quite an extraordinary person."
“More than just an extraordinary person?” Xue Xiujun sat opposite her, ignoring her continued studying the rouge, and vividly recounted the scenes he had witnessed that evening.
“She eats this much at every meal, and ten meals a day. She even has to get up in the middle of the night to eat. Let me tell you, being her cook is incredibly painful, especially with the night shifts. I wonder if this third princess has some serious illness.”
Zhu Zhifeng laughed, "They're princesses, the world belongs to them, so it's no big deal for them to eat more. But most people wouldn't eat like this, it does seem a bit off, Awan, what do you think?"
She looked at Yu Wan, who was folding the letter she had written in half twice and then stuffing it into an envelope.
Yu Wan laughed and said, "As you all said, she is a princess. She has imperial chefs and imperial physicians in the palace, so many people serving her. Let's not worry about her. But the fact that she can travel all over the country shows that the emperor dotes on her very much."
Xue Xiujun pursed his lips, "Not necessarily. Judging from the tone of this Third Princess, it seems that her emperor father has done a lot of foolish things."
I don't know what he was planning, but a subtle cunning glint flashed in his eyes.
Zhu Zhifeng's research finally came to an end, and she packed up her bottles and jars.
"A-Wan, if this third princess could taste your cooking, wouldn't she be more likely to visit Sui County often? Wouldn't your food city then become as famous as the Jin family's?"
Xue Xiujun immediately chimed in, "That's right, that's right! Boss lady, you'd better step up your game! This is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity."
Yu Wan chuckled, finding tonight quite unusual.
The two men, not knowing what she was laughing at, exchanged a glance, then looked at her at the same time and asked the same question in unison.
"why are you laughing?"
Yu Wan was even more surprised and laughed, "You two seem to be getting along really well today?"
The two looked at each other, then simultaneously gave each other a look of disgust, and both snorted, ignoring the other.
Yu Wan found the two of them very interesting, but instead of continuing to tease them, she turned serious and continued their previous conversation.
"The Jin family's success today is not only due to its own wealth and strength, but also inseparable from the relationship with this Third Princess. However, as you all know, with my current status, I cannot rashly approach the Third Princess. It might even ruin things. Besides, these days are a time for the Jin family to shine. If I suddenly appear, wouldn't that disturb the Jin family's important affairs?"
Xue Xiujun rubbed his chin thoughtfully, "Then what should we do? This is a living advertisement. This is of a higher status and has a greater influence than Lord Zhu's two friends. Of course, I don't mean to say anything bad about those two, just stating the facts."
Zhu Zhifeng suddenly had a bright idea. "We can do this: when the Third Princess leaves Jiangnan, we can follow her route and try to attract her attention with delicious food along the way."
“But aren’t we going to the capital? What if she doesn’t go?” Xue Xiujun asked.
Zhu Zhifeng deflated and asked in return, "Then what do you suggest we do?"
Xue Xiujun couldn't figure it out either, but he looked at the silent boy.
"Hey, say something! This concerns the boss's business; it's a serious matter. You're part of it too, shouldn't you do your part?"
Zhu Zhifeng looked at He Jing and said, "Yes, Mr. He, why don't you say anything?"
Yu Wan also looked at the boy, feeling puzzled. This person was usually taciturn, but would still say a few words at crucial moments. Why was he so quiet tonight, not saying a single word?
Seeing that three pairs of eyes were looking at him, He Jing took a deep breath.
"The Mid-Autumn Festival coincides with the current emperor's birthday, and the Third Princess returns to the capital every year to celebrate, no matter where she is. Therefore, she will definitely head towards the capital this time she leaves Jiangnan."
Xue Xiujun's beautiful eyes sparkled, as if she had grasped some important clue.
"That's wonderful!" He looked at Zhu Zhifeng. "Right?"
Zhu Zhifeng clapped her hands happily, "That's right, this way we won't mess up our plans, that's great!"
Yu Wan was also happy about this, but observing He Suzhi's expression, she felt that he had been worried ever since he learned that the Third Princess had arrived in Jiangnan.
It was late at night, and everyone had already gone back to their rooms to sleep.
Because Zhu Zhifeng had a lot of bottles and jars, she felt embarrassed to bother Yu Wan, so she moved to her own room.
Yu Wan wasn't sleepy, so she sat by the window, drinking tea and enjoying the moonlight.
She had a lot on her mind, a jumbled mess, too many thoughts to keep up with, and the main thing was that she needed to do them one by one.
Just then, she saw a boy sitting at a stone table in the courtyard through the window, looking as if he had something on his mind.
She recognized him from behind and was about to call out to him, but not wanting to wake the people who were sleeping soundly, so she gently knocked on the window.
The boy was indeed alert and perceptive, turning around and accurately locking onto her location.
Bright eyes, radiating dazzling light.
He got up and went straight to the window.
"Aren't you going to sleep yet?"
Yu Wan rested her elbow on the windowsill, propped her chin on her hand, and curiously looked at him.
"Why aren't you asleep? What are you thinking about? You're not thinking about the Third Princess, are you?"
He Jing did not answer yes or no immediately, but remained silent for a moment, then stood there quietly staring at her.
Yu Wan felt uncomfortable under his gaze, wondering if there was something wrong with her. She checked herself but found nothing unusual.
Why are you staring at me? Do you have something to say?
He Jing then pursed his lips and said, "General He is not the Third Princess's love interest. They are just friends who grew up together and get along very well."
"How do you know? You know them? Then why don't you go and catch up with her? It must have been a long time since you last saw her, right?" Yu Wan had already guessed that this person's identity was unusual, but she didn't expect that he could know the royal family.
"I'm not available to show my face right now, so I'd like to ask you for a favor." He Jing looked at her cautiously.
Yu Wan joked, "What kind of help? You're not asking me to be a matchmaker, are you?"
"Can't you speak properly? I'm not talking to you anymore." He Jing glared at her, angry, and turned to leave.
Yu Wan quickly grabbed his sleeve. "I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I shouldn't have made that kind of joke. Tell me, what's wrong?"
He Jing looked down at the small hand holding his, and although it didn't touch his skin, but was just tugging at the fabric, it still shook his heart.
His heart raced, his Adam's apple bobbed, and he took a deep, difficult breath to calm himself down.
The girl kept urging, "Say something! You're always like this. I really admire you, how can you hold it in?"
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