Chapter 51
The incident at the No. 1 Restaurant in the world came to an end. Afterwards, Mu Qinhan did not cause any trouble for Mu Yulu, nor did he reveal to Mu Yugang that she was disguised as a cook in the restaurant.
He truly kept Mu Yulu's secret, just as he had said that day.
This matter left Mu Yulu with mixed feelings of joy and worry.
The good news was that the trouble had ended in such an unexpected way; she had not suffered any retaliation from Mu Qinhan, nor had she been implicated by the World's Number One Restaurant.
But this is precisely what worries her. She knows Mu Qinhan's personality all too well. It can be said that everything she has done in front of him since her rebirth is enough to warrant being sentenced to death ten thousand times over.
But Mu Qinhan actually endured it every time.
He showed her great tolerance, which gave Mu Yulu a bad feeling.
She felt like prey that Mu Qinhan had been eyeing for a long time. At this moment, he wasn't devouring her, but merely watching coldly to see what other tricks she could pull.
Therefore, although the past few days have been peaceful, she is still worried every day. She looks troubled when cooking, and even the guests say that the chicken soup stewed with tofu tastes a little different from before.
The waiter asked them what was different.
They said they tasted something sad.
...
Several more days passed until Mu Yulu finally relaxed after hearing good news from Qi Zhizhi.
Before they knew it, the Third Prince's birthday was fast approaching. The imperial court requested that the No. 1 Restaurant in the world present three dishes at the birthday banquet. Among the three famous chefs that Qi Zhizhi recommended, one of them was Mu Yulu.
You should know that those who can serve dishes at royal banquets are not ordinary people; they must be the best of the best, the masters among masters.
If Mu Yulu can successfully present dishes at the banquet a few days later and receive positive reviews, then Chef Mu will truly become famous.
Being able to serve dishes at the imperial banquet proves that her culinary skills are at least no less than those of the imperial chefs. With such a title, she won't starve to death even if she leaves the capital.
Mu Yulu naturally knew that she was still relatively new to the Tianxia Diyi Lou restaurant, and that her name being on the list of dishes to be offered was definitely thanks to Qi Zhizhi.
That evening, she invited him to sit in her courtyard, where she would cook some of her best dishes to express her gratitude.
Qi Zhizhi readily agreed, but this time he came to the Mu residence under the guise of seeking Feng Wentang, and did not bring Qi Zhiqiu with him.
That night, Mu Yulu and Qi Zhizhi sat facing each other in the courtyard, enjoying the gentle breeze and bright moonlight.
On a small blue stone table in the courtyard were several exquisite dishes, all of which were Mu Yulu's specialties. One of them was the chicken soup stewed tofu that made her famous at the Tianxia Diyi Lou restaurant.
Today, the tofu is cut into perfectly square pieces and soaked in the golden broth. It has absorbed all the broth, making each piece glistening and plump with slightly translucent edges, which looks incredibly appetizing.
In addition, there is a dish of rouge goose breast, with thin slices of meat as red as the sunset, laid on top of snow-white bamboo shoots and drizzled with amber-colored honey sauce, which is very shiny and tempting.
Qi Zhizhi looked at the plate of goose breast with curiosity. "This dish seems to be a specialty of Xuanwu Kingdom. How did you learn to make it?"
Mu Yulu blinked and said, "I saw Chef Yang make this dish that day, so I asked him for his recipe."
She wasn't lying. In her previous life, when Mu Qinhan was an envoy to Xuanwu Kingdom, she tasted this dish called Rouge Goose Breast and still longed for it after returning home.
It just so happens that Chef Yang is from Xuanwu Kingdom and is an expert in local cuisine. When Mu Yulu was learning cooking from Chef Yang in her previous life, she specifically asked him for advice on how to make this goose breast.
Qi Zhizhi raised an eyebrow and nodded when he heard her say that.
He didn't rush to move, but leisurely picked up the wine cup in front of him and said to Mu Yulu in a teasing tone, "Prince Mu really likes this Rouge Goose Breast. He sends someone to the No. 1 Restaurant in the World to get the dish every month."
He stopped there, his fingertips tracing the warm, smooth surface of the cup, a strange smile playing on his lips as he looked at Mu Yulu.
Mu Yulu swallowed.
What's wrong with this person?
Did he figure something out too?
At this moment, Mu Yulu felt that everyone in the Vermilion Bird Kingdom was incredibly cunning, and the more she thought about it, the more terrifying it became. She knew she couldn't stay in this place any longer.
Qi Zhizhi seemed to see through Mu Yulu's thoughts. He stared at her for a while, then changed the subject and asked, "You should have saved up quite a bit of silver by now. If you can really make a name for yourself at the Third Prince's birthday banquet, do you plan to leave the Vermilion Bird Kingdom?"
Mu Yulu was taken aback. She originally wanted to ask him how he knew she wanted to leave the Vermilion Bird Kingdom, but as she opened her mouth, she thought of another more crucial question: "Did I become famous at the Third Prince's birthday banquet?"
She never imagined she would become famous overnight; she figured that it would be enough if her chicken soup stewed tofu became an instant hit.
Qi Zhizhi smiled again: "With your excellent skills, you will naturally become famous in front of all the countries. Do you think you only want to make this one dish, chicken soup with tofu, and that it will be enough for you to become famous?"
Well, Qi Zhizhi guessed her thoughts again.
She said cautiously, "But I am just a woman, and it is not good to be so flamboyant in front of so many people. Besides, there were many people around that day, and my father would definitely find out that I was dressed as a man."
"So what if he knows? I never intended for you to dress as a man at your birthday banquet." Qi Zhizhi's voice was filled with undeniable certainty: "I asked you to disguise yourself on ordinary days, indeed so as not to cause trouble for the Number One Restaurant in the World."
"But it is also to make you patient and bide your time. Biding your time is not to hide your identity, but to wait for the opportunity to soar to the sky."
Mu Yulu opened her mouth, but suddenly felt she didn't know what to say. She hadn't expected him to have planned so much for her.
Qi Zhizhi continued, "Now the opportunity has come. You can seize this chance to become famous overnight and become a renowned chef sought after by restaurants all over the country, just like Chef Yang."
“Those who achieve great things throughout history have never been concerned with trivial matters, so why should there be any difference between men and women? Even the princess of Xuanwu Kingdom dared to compete with the princes for the throne, which shows that women’s insight is no less than men’s. What do you have to be afraid of?”
What he said made a lot of sense, and Mu Yulu was naturally very tempted, but she still had her own concerns.
Perhaps because she had been severely suppressed by Mu Yugang before, her plan had always been to save up enough money to quietly leave the Mu family mansion. She never thought of becoming famous all over the world like this and then leaving openly and generously.
Qi Zhizhi seemed to have the ability to read minds, as if he could see through her concerns at a glance: "Don't worry about your father. You have already made a name for yourself in front of envoys from various countries. Are you afraid that he will kidnap you and force you to marry someone? Even if he is really that confused, with such a reputation, wouldn't you have more confidence to resist?"
He smiled slightly at this point: "More importantly, the Empress Dowager would never allow a merchant's daughter who shows her face in public to marry into the Mu Prince's mansion."
Mu Yulu's eyes lit up.
Yes, how could she not have thought of that?
When she looked at Qi Zhizhi again, her eyes had changed.
Qi Zhizhi smiled and said, "Have you finally put your worries to rest?"
Mu Yulu raised her cup: "I won't thank you enough for this great kindness. I'll offer you a cup of tea instead of wine."
After drinking the tea in her cup, Mu Yulu realized that once a person understands things, they don't need alcohol at all; even a cup of tea can quell the pent-up emotions in their heart.
Qi Zhizhi continued to ask her, "You still haven't told me, once you've saved enough silver, do you want to leave here? If you were to leave the Vermilion Bird Kingdom, where would you most like to go?"
Mu Yulu tilted her head and thought for a moment, "I most want to go and see the Xuanwu Kingdom."
At this point, she propped her head up with her hand and asked with great interest, "You travel all over the country as a merchant, so you must have been to many places. Could you tell me about the customs and culture of Xuanwu Kingdom?"
“Great! It just so happens that last winter I led a caravan to Xuanwu Kingdom and we spent the New Year there.” Qi Zhizhi said with a smile, his voice carrying a hint of nostalgic laziness.
"We settled in a small town near the north of Xuanwu Kingdom. The place was located at the foot of a snow-capped mountain, with white peaks that pierced the clouds. When the sun shone on it, the whole mountain looked like it was covered in scattered gold, so bright that it was hard to open one's eyes."
"Most people in Xuanwu Kingdom are religious, and the temple in that small town is a great wonder. It is built on a sheer cliff and hidden among the snow."
Mu Yulu listened intently.
But Qi Zhizhi continued, "I heard that the monks in that temple always wear only a thin red robe, yet they can sit quietly and chant sutras for hours in the freezing cold."
"The statues they worship are very different from ours. The golden statues do not hold lotus flowers or vases in their hands, but rather a small golden sun engraved with mysterious patterns." Qi Zhizhi lightly traced the rim of the wine glass with his fingertip, as if he were tracing the shape of the golden sun.
Seeing that Mu Yulu was engrossed in listening, Qi Zhizhi pondered for a moment and then changed the subject, saying, "Actually, the world is vast, and there are many magical places. For example, south of the Vermilion Bird Kingdom, there is a dense forest full of miasma. It is unbearably hot and humid there, and deep in the forest, fog lingers all year round, obscuring the sun. The women of the tribes there all tie their hair up with colorful threads and adorn it with silver bells, which jingle as they walk. It is said that this can drive away the miasma demons in the forest."
Mu Yulu was completely captivated by the strange tales he was telling her, and couldn't help but ask softly, "What is a miasma ghost?"
Qi Zhizhi added a touch of feigned mystery to his tone, and a mischievous smile appeared in his eyes. "I heard that they are ghosts who died in the miasma-filled forest. They don't know that they are no longer alive, and they wander aimlessly in the deep forest every day, making sounds that sound like sighs."
"There's a saying that if you're walking alone in the woods and hear footsteps behind you but see no one, you must never turn around, otherwise..."
Before Qi Zhizhi could finish speaking, with a thud, the spoon in Mu Yulu's hand fell into the bowl.
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