Zuixianju in the capital.
This is a restaurant with a history of over a hundred years, occupying a prime location in the capital. Every day, the people who come to eat and drink here are either rich or noble.
Ordinary people can only admire it from afar, deterred by its exorbitant price.
There are reasons for this, of course.
Besides its excellent location, Zuixianju offers the best service among all restaurants in the capital. In addition, most of the chefs employed by Zuixianju are highly skilled, and it is said that the head chef worked in the imperial kitchen for several years during the reign of the late emperor.
Their ingredients are delivered from all over the country by express courier to ensure freshness and the best taste.
All these factors combined to create Zuixianju's unparalleled status in the capital.
As evening fell, two men dressed in official robes entered Zuixianju.
Upon seeing the two men's official robes, the waiter in the lobby immediately became extremely serious and quickly went to greet them.
"My lords, please come in quickly."
The two men were about the same age, both in their forties or fifties.
The person on the left has graying hair and deep nasolabial folds, and looks extremely tired.
He exudes an imposing aura without even trying, and his mere presence sends chills down people's spines.
The people around him, on the other hand, always had smiles on their faces and were always laughing.
"Hey Lao Hu, you've had that long face all day, relax a bit, let's have a good meal today."
After saying that, the smiling man asked the waiter, "What fresh dishes does Zuixianju have today? Bring them up quickly."
Just as the waiter was about to answer, he suddenly remembered the news he had received earlier that day, so he tried to say, "Sirs, Zuixianju has indeed just introduced a new way of eating. I wonder if you two are interested?"
As he spoke, the waiter kept his body very low, not daring to look at the two men's faces.
That's because these two items would be extraordinary no matter where they were placed in the capital.
The serious and easily angered scholar-like man is the Minister of Personnel, while the smiling man is the Minister of Rites.
Even in the imperial court, they were the most important figures.
"What other novelties does Zuixianju have that we haven't tried before? Tell me."
As he asked the question, the Minister of Rites gestured for his colleagues to come upstairs.
The waiter followed closely behind, explaining in detail: "Your Excellencies, this is a strange way of eating that the owner found somewhere, it's called hot pot..."
The Imperial Palace.
The Imperial Study.
Wu Lanxi's long hair cascaded over her shoulders, and her pale yellow dragon robe accentuated her unusually serious expression.
She put down the memorial in her hand and gently pushed it to the right side of the desk.
There, more than a dozen memorials had already been submitted, which were recently presented by the ministers below, and without exception, they all concerned urgent matters in the near future.
Wu Lanxi sighed heavily, "The disaster is getting worse and worse..."
Behind her, Lin Wan'er also looked worried. She couldn't bear to see Wu Lanxi so anxious, so she comforted her, "Your Majesty, Lord Xie has secretly taken supplies to Kuizhou under the guise of a merchant caravan. They should have arrived in the next few days, and I believe things will improve."
This was seven days after they left Qihuai County.
Xie Wu led his men back to Qihuai County that same day, took away all the supplies, and rushed to Kuizhou overnight.
Kuizhou is quite far from the capital, and even traveling day and night would take three or four days. I estimate that they have only just arrived.
Even with the fastest horse, the urgent letter would not be delivered back to the capital until the next day or two. Therefore, Wu Lanxi is currently unaware of the situation in Kuizhou.
"I hope this matter can be resolved amicably. If the famine in Kuizhou can be relieved, the disasters that are spreading to other places will not be so troublesome..."
Lin Wan'er knew that His Majesty was worried about this matter and did not want her to be depressed or troubled by it, so she quietly changed the subject.
"Your Majesty, Zuixianju has already begun promoting its hot pot to its guests today, and I believe it will be popular throughout the capital in just a few days."
Concerned about the disaster, Wu Lanxi didn't place much importance on the hot pot, only making general arrangements without rushing into it.
The sugar business had already aroused suspicion among officials in the capital. Wu Lanxi felt that the hot pot business should not be rushed, otherwise the ministers would easily trace the clues back to her.
Therefore, she specifically set aside a few days to make arrangements so that the appearance of hot pot would not seem so abrupt.
Incidentally, I'll detach myself from all of this.
Seeing that Wu Lanxi did not respond, Lin Wan'er smiled and said, "I received news that the two ministers of the Ministry of Rites and the Ministry of Personnel went to Zuixianju today. The hot pot there amazed them and they praised it highly. This matter has already spread."
Wu Lanxi narrowed her eyes upon hearing this.
The two ministers were still crying in the main hall today, complaining about the devastation of the disaster and putting pressure on Wu Lanxi.
Wu Lanxi subtly suggested that the ministers donate money for disaster relief, but they all kept their distance.
As a result, they turned around and went to Zuixianju.
Wu Lanxi thought about it carefully and reminded him, "Have someone keep a close eye on Cui Renshi's movements."
Lin Wan'er affirmed, "There has always been someone secretly watching the Prime Minister."
The moon is rising, and the stars are few.
Behind the Prime Minister's residence, a figure leaped steadily down from the high wall.
Then he lay down against the wall.
A moment later, another figure appeared on the wall and slowly climbed down, stepping on the former's shoulders.
"Dad said that Zuixianju has a new hot pot restaurant that's even better than the most delicious delicacies. I have to go and try it..."
Cui Yuanzhao said with a loud laugh.
Zhang Da, a trusted aide standing nearby, reminded him, "Young Master, keep quiet. If the Master finds out, you'll be confined to your quarters again."
Previously, due to his misdeeds, Cui Yuanzhao was confined to his home by his father, who was the prime minister, and was not allowed to go out. It was only when he was cheated in the sugar business that Cui Yuanzhao led a group of subordinates to stand up for him, which finally relieved his father's anger, and his discipline was somewhat relaxed.
Even so, Choi Won-jo still imposed some clear curfews.
But after hearing about the hot pot at Zuixianju, he couldn't resist and insisted that Zhang Da take him there to see it, which is why he risked sneaking out.
Zhang Da urged, "Young Master, let's hurry up, we need to be back in an hour at most."
Having been reminded, Cui Yuanzhao disregarded everything else and quickly ran forward.
Zuixianju was a familiar place to Cui Yuanzhao, who frequented it often, though he rarely paid for it.
Because of Cui Yuanzhao's status as the son of the prime minister, Zuixianju could only turn a blind eye and pretend that nothing had happened.
When the two arrived at Zuixianju, it was still brightly lit.
Looking inside, the lobby was already packed with people.
On each table was an iron pot, with flames of varying sizes burning underneath.
The rich aroma of the soup filled the lobby, and people's faces glowed with delight as they praised it highly.
Cui Yuanzhao sniffed hard. "This hot pot is really delicious. Just the smell makes my mouth water. Dad actually said that others are exaggerating. Humph, I think he just doesn't want me to come."
The waiter inside was so engrossed in the bustling business that he inadvertently spotted Cui Yuanzhao at the door and immediately felt as if he were facing a formidable enemy.
Reluctantly, he went over with a stiff upper lip.
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