In room number one of the "Heaven" section on the third floor of Fuxianglou, Zheng Ya admired the elegant room decorated with Zen-inspired wood and furnished with tables and chairs, sipping tea but not feeling hungry.
Manager Qi sent two maids to serve Zheng Ya, while he stayed in the kitchen to supervise the chef's cooking and secretly added the drug.
Two plump, elegant, and pretty maids served Zheng Ya tea with smiles. Zheng Ya calmly enjoyed their careful service, but his mind was focused on sensing the thermal dynamics of people and animals within a 200-meter radius.
It is merely a dynamic image of sensing human and animal thermal energy.
Beyond a range of fifty meters, Zheng Ya could not hear the sounds of people and animals. Unless they made loud noises, he could only judge their intentions by relying on the thermal imaging of their movements.
For example, when Manager Qi approached Zheng Twelve, they were more than 30 meters apart and were within Zheng Ya's perception range. However, because Zheng Twelve emitted a protective shield of magical energy, their conversation was blocked. Zheng Ya could only judge their intentions based on their dynamic behavior of body heat.
Right now, Manager Qi, his hands trembling, opened the medicine packet and put the medicine into the donkey meat stew, which Zheng Ya had figured out. He was indignant. "Is that all?"
At this moment, Fu Zhen arrived at the main street of the Duke of Yongguo's mansion in a sedan chair carried by four men. There, she was greeted by the servant that Lai Er had sent out to gather information about Fu Ya. The servant leaned close to Lai Er's ear and said, "Steward Lai, Fu Ya entered Fuxiang Restaurant not long ago. Many people on the street saw him..."
"Haha, to Fuxiang Restaurant." Fu Zhen was furious upon hearing this and immediately lifted the sedan curtain to urge them on.
Lai Er hurriedly turned to Fu Zhen, bowed and smiled obsequiously: "Your Excellency is considerate of his clansmen and has personally come to Fuxiang Restaurant to recruit Fu Ya. This will surely become a legendary tale!"
"Hmm, it's still you, Lai Er Dong Ye. Let's go!" Fu Zhen caught a glimpse of the wicked light in his fawning eyes, knowing that he understood her intentions, and waved her hand to urge him on.
Lai Er nodded and bowed in agreement, then turned around and said, "The Duke is so considerate of his clansman Fu Ya that he has come to Fuxiang Restaurant to welcome him. Why don't you hurry up and carry the sedan chair to Fuxiang Restaurant? If you delay the Duke's important business, I, the steward, will not forgive you."
"Clear the way, Lord Fu is traveling. All irrelevant people, make way!" The sedan chair bearers carried the sedan chair, and the servants clearing the way beat drums and gongs to disperse the pedestrians on the street, while also publicizing Fu Zhen's great achievements in caring for his cousin and being a brother to his cousin.
Pedestrians on the street made way for each other, and opinions were divided, with some pessimistic and some negative.
The crowd, disgusted by the servants of the Duke of Yong's mansion abusing their power, committing atrocities that have resulted in the deaths of several people and the seizure of countless family assets, continued to hurl insults at them.
Those who enjoyed the protection of the Duke of Yongguo's mansion were all greeted with smiles and flattery, and Fu Zhen was escorted all the way to the gate of Fuxiang Tower.
Manager Qi had just prepared a table of food and wine for Zheng Ya and was directing the waiters to bring the dishes upstairs when he heard of Fu Zhen's arrival. He was so angry that he blew his beard and said, "Is this a double blessing?"
"Manager, what do you think of this?" the waiter asked hesitantly. Manager Qi snorted coldly, "You all serve Fu Ya the dishes. Allow me to go and greet Lord Fu. I'll be right back!"
"Alright, boss, you're busy!" the waiter replied, waving his hand to direct the other five people to carry the dishes upstairs.
Manager Qi turned to leave through the main gate and hadn't taken ten steps when Fu Zhen strode into the lobby of Fuxiang Restaurant with her pigeon-toed gait: "Manager Qi, are you trying to steal my son from the Fu family for your prince?"
"Uh, Lord Fu, you've misunderstood..." Manager Qi was taken aback and bowed with a forced smile. Fu Zhen pressed on, "Even Prince Rong doesn't have your guts. Trying to undermine the Fu family, which has two dukes, are you courting death?"
"Lord Fu, if you're determined to frame someone, you can always find a pretext. What are your orders?" Manager Qi stood up and stared at him with a cold smile.
Zheng Shier had already come out of the backyard upon hearing the noise, leaning against the door frame of the back door of the hall, sneering repeatedly: "Lord Fu, you have quite the airs, don't you?"
"Hmph, I will demand an explanation from Prince Rong. As for you, hmph," Fu Zhen warned angrily.
Is this a publicity stunt to protect the interests of the clan and win people's hearts?
Zheng Ya thoughtfully sensed everything happening in the downstairs hall. He caught a glimpse of the waiter bringing dishes to the table, and immediately waved for two maids to serve the food. He multitasked and started eating.
The world is vast, but the belly is the biggest.
The maidservants busied themselves serving him food.
Zheng Ya picked up his chopsticks to eat, but then he sensed the commotion downstairs. Zheng Twelve retorted disdainfully, "Lord Fu, insubordination is a capital offense. The Prince is not someone you can offend just anyone."
"Oh, really?"
"Then who among you can tell me what you're plotting by abducting my cousin Fu Ya and imprisoning him in Fuxiang Tower?" Fu Zhen asked with a gloomy face.
Zheng Shier angrily explained, "Lord Fu, Fu Ya clearly went to Fuxiang Restaurant to eat on his own..."
"Haha," my cousin Fu Ya was framed and is now struggling to make ends meet. He is penniless and in dire straits, but he has awakened his spiritual root. Then he was kidnapped and brought to Fu Xiang Lou. You tell my cousin that he came here to eat? Who would believe you?
Zheng Shier opened his mouth to speak, but couldn't find a suitable reason, so he stood frozen in place. Manager Qi quickly smoothed things over, saying, "Lord Fu, the truth will be judged by public opinion. Why not move to Room 1 and let Fu Ya clarify the facts himself..."
“Very well, I act justly, and to save face for Prince Rong, I will allow you to submit to the law before my cousin. Lead the way,” Fu Zhen said angrily.
Manager Qi, feeling aggrieved, led him up to the third floor, to room number one in the "Heavenly" section. Seeing Fu Ya eating and drinking heartily, he laughed and said, "Lord Fu, look at him, he doesn't look like he's being held captive at all."
On the contrary, we at Fuxiang Restaurant served Fu Ya the best food and drinks..."
"Haha, isn't poaching all about catering to someone's preferences? First, treat them to good food and drinks, and then they'll feel obligated to do so, making it easier for you to poach their partners, right?"
"I know of more than a dozen cases of Fuxianglou doing this kind of thing, hmph," Fu Zhen said disdainfully as she sat down in the chair next to Zheng Ya and personally served him food in retaliation.
Zheng Ya glanced at Manager Qi's flushed face, but remained unmoved and said, "Brother Clan Leader, you've protected your younger brother, I'm deeply grateful, brother, you should eat too..."
"No..." Manager Qi stammered in terror, unable to finish his sentence, drenched in cold sweat.
Zheng Ya raised his head and said, "Manager Qi, this is where you've gone wrong. You promised to treat me to a meal and then introduce me to a job..."
"No, no, Lord Fu, this meal was prepared for Fu Ya, you can't eat it..." Manager Qi saw Fu Zhen putting a piece of donkey meat into her mouth and rushed up to stop her.
Unfortunately, as he passed by Zheng Ya, Zheng Ya reached out and grabbed Manager Qi. He glanced at Fu Zhen and took a bite of donkey meat, then laughed and said, "Manager Qi, what are you saying?"
We brothers dine together with mutual courtesy and respect, showing brotherly affection and deference. How could you repeatedly obstruct us like this? What is the meaning of this?
"That's right, I am close to my cousin, who is it for you to interfere?"
"Could it be that you really intend to poach our Fu family's members? Very well, ah..." Fu Zhen said, then clutched her stomach and screamed, falling under the table, shocking everyone present.
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