Chapter 5 Infrastructure System? x Loyalty Identification System √^^……
Inside the imperial kitchen, a chaotic chorus of pleas for mercy mingled with the crisp sound of slaps.
Xiao Chengzi and Xiao Dezi kept glancing this way with admiration and excitement. Qi Chengming slowly curled the corner of his mouth and did not immediately tell the group of people who were kneeling and begging for mercy to get up.
To vent one's anger, one must properly release all the pent-up resentment accumulated over the years before it's considered over.
Whether it's Xiao Chengzi or the original body.
As for how to handle and resolve this matter...
Qi Chengming's thoughts slowly drifted back to the time when he was eating.
As a modern person who had read countless time-travel novels, he was pondering how to get revenge as he viciously chewed on his steamed bun. His first thought was to cause a scene at the imperial kitchen—the reason was perfectly logical; he was a loser about to leave the capital to take up his fiefdom, so couldn't he just throw caution to the wind?
But Qi Chengming was very self-aware.
He knew that reality wouldn't be as smooth and satisfying as in the novel, so he had another concern at the time:
What if he makes a scene and still fails to get revenge? Will the palace, a place that flatters the powerful and belittles the weak, really change because of his antics as a loser? Will the emperor care about his son's reputation, or will he be impatient and think that he is just venting his dissatisfaction? If he still fails to get revenge after making a scene, then the second prince will become a complete laughingstock.
Even if he were to start over in Liuzhou, there's no guarantee he wouldn't be looked down upon by his servants and become a prime example of "a servant bullying his master." Even far from the capital, things wouldn't truly begin anew.
This is all because the poor second prince had no powerful backer, which foreshadowed his tragic future.
So……
Now, Qi Chengming wants revenge, but he has a lot of disadvantages. Where are his advantages? After thinking it over, Qi Chengming can only think of his only backer—his uncle, the Grand Master of the Imperial Clan. This uncle has no control over any palace affairs, he can only be responsible for the division of the Prince's fiefdom for the Second Prince, and he is also the current emperor's uncle.
Therefore, the methods Qi Chengming could use were obvious.
Not only did Eunuch Qian lead a group of people in fear, begging for mercy and punishing themselves, but his food supply would be guaranteed until he left the palace to take up his fief. However, even under these circumstances, Qi Chengming, going to Liuzhou, truly needed a head cook.
So, the young man, who was now standing in the imperial kitchen enjoying his "venting," casually glanced at the onlookers.
The senior eunuchs, busy preparing meals for the nobles and sweating profusely, were ignored; the junior eunuchs and maids doing menial tasks were ignored; the curious onlookers, who weren't involved, were ignored; and even those who had offended him were ignored.
Qi Chengming wasn't stupid—he could use these conditions to manipulate Eunuch Qian, but that didn't mean he actually intended to take Eunuch Qian to Liuzhou. That was the last piece of leverage that neither side was satisfied with.
"..." Qi Chengming's gaze finally settled on a man and a woman on the edge of the stove.
The man appeared to be a high-ranking eunuch who wasn't doing very well. He wore the same steward's robes as the former eunuch Qian, but they were faded from washing. Despite the busy time, he had nothing to do and sat far away at the very edge. The high-ranking eunuch's attention wasn't on the farce in the imperial kitchen; instead, he was whispering something to his apprentice beside him, listless and looking utterly dejected.
—Judging from his appearance, this chef doesn't have a round face or fat on his belly!
Perhaps it was this "unlucky appearance" that made him disliked by noble people?
Another older palace maid—or rather, aunt—was focused intently on cooking. Her fair, rosy hands lifted the pot lid and added ingredients. The dish in front of her was overflowing with ingredients, requiring a great deal of chores, yet not a single maid or eunuch was by her side to help. She did all these menial tasks herself, including starting the fire.
This scene was even stranger than the thin, gloomy cook, after all, how could an apprentice doing odd jobs dare to find fault with his aunt?
Qi Chengming looked on curiously, wondering if his aunt had offended someone.
He made a mental note of it, planning to secretly contact these two people later. Even if their cooking skills weren't great, they were already working in the imperial kitchen; even a low-ranking job was edible. He could deal with it later.
"I shouldn't have...it's my fault..." Eunuch Qian was still slapping himself. His cheeks were swollen, and he could barely speak. He knelt on the ground, tears streaming down his face, trembling but not daring to stop.
"Alright." Qi Chengming finally raised his hand, his light voice like heavenly music, "Regarding the list, I can discuss it with my uncle for a while longer. As for Eunuch Qian's sincerity..."
"I'll never dare to do it again!" Eunuch Qian blurted out hastily. He swayed, not daring to stand up, but pointed to the pots on the stove that he was in charge of, which were simmering, and said obsequiously, "What would Your Highness like for dinner? I'll get it for you!"
Now that this commotion has erupted, regardless of whether it's late to collect the meal, the palace maids and eunuchs waiting outside have already had their fill of the spectacle. Since it's gotten to this point and can't be concealed any longer, Eunuch Qian can only hope to appease this little tyrant first, and then deal with the rest later.
"No need for tonight." Qi Chengming beckoned Xiao Chengzi over, then glanced at Xiao Buzi. "But in the future..."
Xiao Buzi's face turned pale. He gritted his teeth and suddenly forced out an ugly, ingratiating smile, as if Xiao Chengzi were his master: "Eunuch Cheng, you need someone to run errands, right? From now on, there's no need for you to come personally for these chores. I'll take care of them all!"
When Xiaobuzi said that, his smile was uglier than a cry.
He knew this was no menial task; Xiao Chengzi would definitely make him suffer and demand more, making up for everything he had done before. But Xiao Buzi didn't want to go to Liuzhou, so he could only agree with tears in his eyes.
It's better to be tormented for a while than to be tormented for the rest of your life!
...
This scramble for the imperial kitchen ended just like that, leaving me feeling refreshed and invigorated.
When Qi Chengming returned with his two personal eunuchs, the atmosphere among the three was unusually relaxed, completely different from usual. Xiao Dezi even had a smile on his face: "Your Highness is truly amazing!"
"This is only enough to deal with people who don't have a real backer." Qi Chengming wasn't too smug.
The people in the imperial kitchen were nothing compared to him; they were afraid of being included on the list of those to be sent to Liuzhou and thus backed down. His other grudges were not so easy to avenge—for example, the princes and brothers who schemed against the original owner of this body and spread rumors.
He is not yet capable of fighting back; everything can only wait until he establishes a foothold in Liuzhou.
"Keep an eye on those two people you mentioned when you go to the Imperial Kitchen recently," Qi Chengming instructed. "Also, act very arrogantly when you go there, but turn around and act the opposite when you return to the Prince's residence."
"Your Highness, what are you planning to do...?" Xiao Chengzi asked tentatively, already having a plan in mind. From the moment his Highness left home, he realized something was amiss, as he had unexpectedly instructed the two of them to act arrogantly and smugly. After pondering all the way, and considering what his Highness was saying now, he had a vague guess.
"My uncle asked me to submit the list of belongings and palace servants that I want to take to Liuzhou." Qi Chengming walked unhurriedly, his eyes narrowing slightly.
He spent the afternoon observing in a hurry.
The people in the Second Prince's residence were restless, and many wanted to leave because of the rumors.
Moreover, over the years, this Second Prince, who has had a very difficult and miserable life, has neither the ability nor the foundation to remove the spies within his own ranks. Whether it's winning people over or completely eliminating his informants, he can't do it. Fortunately, he still has two loyal followers, Xiao Dezi and Xiao Chengzi.
The Imperial Clan Court had considerable power over the management of the royal family, but even with that power, it couldn't extend to the palace. The uncle could only subtly suggest that he could use the enfeoffment as a prefecture to purge his influence.
Now is a good opportunity.
Those palace servants who wanted to leave because they thought the Second Prince was down on his luck, those whom others considered useless, and those who were too clever for their own good—none of them needed to be taken to Liuzhou. The Second Prince's residence was in the most isolated and remote area, and before the details of Qi Chengming's display of power were exposed, or rather, before they reached us… tonight was the time to clean house.
then.
The palace servants who were guarding the entrance to the Second Prince's residence were filled with apprehension when they saw the Second Prince return with a blank expression.
"Your Highness, what is this...?" She was somewhat flustered, unable to discern any reaction from her own Highness's face, and then shifted her gaze to the two eunuchs. Xiao Dezi and Xiao Chengzi both hung their heads dejectedly like defeated roosters.
Although he hasn't said a word, the situation is already quite clear.
His Highness went to pick a fight in anger... but it seems he failed again.
Bishu's eyebrows drooped sadly. She paused for a moment, then swallowed the half-spoken question she had just asked. She awkwardly tried to change the subject, and put on a smile: "The beans I was in charge of in the back hall have been distributed. Would Your Highness like a cold Ruyi salad tomorrow morning?"
Since the imperial kitchen is unreliable and they don't have a small kitchen where they can cook at will, they can only rack their brains and try their best to prepare some better meals for His Highness.
"Okay." Qi Chengming was somewhat surprised and took another look at the palace maid.
Although the imperial kitchen was sending out delicacies from land and sea, and there was no need for the Second Prince to rack his brains over these petty tricks, Qi Chengming still didn't intend to refuse her kindness.
He also wanted to wait until the palace servants were screened before going to the back hall to see the beans she had distributed.
Qi Chengming silently opened the infrastructure system panel, his gaze lingering on it briefly for a moment.
He was actually quite confident in how to quickly select palace servants.
...Below the list of talents, besides Xiao Dezi and Xiao Chengzi, there were other names. However, based on Qi Chengming's observation this afternoon, these names were far fewer than the number of palace servants in his household.
Isn't this practically a loyalty verification machine?!
Qi Chengming sincerely thanked his own golden touch.
A note from the author:
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